Overview
- The Avalanche finished a 4-0 first-round sweep Sunday with a 5-1 win in Los Angeles, ending the Kings’ season and closing Kopitar’s 20-year career.
- Fans at Crypto.com Arena chanted “Kopi” and “Thank you, Kopi” in the final minutes, and he received standing ovations and hugs in the handshake line.
- Kopitar leaves as the Kings’ all-time leader in games (1,521), assists (864) and points (1,316), with 452 goals and two Stanley Cup titles.
- The 38-year-old did not record a point in the series and said he will move his family to Slovenia to spend more time with his children.
- Los Angeles now faces an offseason of choices on coaching, the captaincy and roster direction, with many analysts calling Kopitar a near-certain Hall of Famer.