- Kings will retire Anze Kopitar’s No. 11 on Feb. 24, 2027 against Montreal
- A bronze statue of the franchise scoring leader goes up outside Crypto.com Arena
- Read below for Kopitar’s reaction and where he lands in Kings history
Anze Kopitar is getting the full Hollywood treatment.
The Kings announced Friday that they will retire Kopitar’s No. 11 and unveil a bronze statue of him outside Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 24, 2027, ahead of a game against the Canadiens.
That makes him the eighth player in franchise history to get a number in the rafters. He joins Rogie Vachon, Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, Rob Blake and Dustin Brown.
Statues are rarer air still. Only Gretzky, Robitaille and Brown have one, plus longtime broadcaster Bob Miller.
Kopitar spoke about the honor in the team’s release.
“To have my number retired and a statue unveiled by the LA Kings is an incredible honor, and one that is difficult to put into words. When I arrived in Los Angeles 21 years ago, I simply hoped to earn the opportunity to play in the NHL. I never imagined something like this.”
Twenty seasons in Los Angeles produced 1,521 games, 452 goals and 864 assists for 1,316 points. He owns the club record in all three of those categories, and he passed Dionne for the scoring mark on March 14, 2026 in New Jersey.
Two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, two Selke Trophies, three Lady Byngs and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2021-22 round out the trophy case.
One number stands out even against that list. Kopitar led the Kings in scoring 15 different seasons, the third-most times any player has led one franchise, trailing only Gordie Howe with Detroit (17) and Sidney Crosby with Pittsburgh (16).
Kings president Luc Robitaille, who already has his own No. 20 hanging up there, described what the Slovenian center meant to the organization.
“Anze Kopitar has defined what it means to be a Los Angeles King for the past two decades. His leadership, consistency and commitment to excellence have helped shape the identity of our franchise, both on and off the ice.”
Los Angeles gave him a Legacy Night last season while he was still playing. Watch Kopitar mic’d up for that ceremony:
His playing days ended in April, when Colorado swept the Kings out of the first round in Game 4.
Seats for Feb. 24 are currently locked behind a season membership or a six-game mini plan. The Kings say single-game tickets will go on sale at a later date.
