Anze Kopitar reaches 1,500 games, another rare milestone for Kings captain
In his final season, anze kopitar reached a milestone few players ever attain: 1, 500 regular-season NHL games, a mark he hit while the Kings faced the New York Islanders on March 5.
Anze Kopitar hits 1, 500 games against the Islanders
With the drop of the puck against the New York Islanders on March 5, Anze Kopitar became the 25th player in NHL history to appear in 1, 500 regular-season games. The milestone also made him only the eighth player to reach 1, 500 games with a single franchise, an achievement tied directly to his long tenure with the Kings.
The 38-year-old forward has built a career of sustained production: he has 446 goals and 856 assists for 1, 302 career points, placing him second on the Kings’ all-time points list behind Marcel Dionne, who has 1, 307. Kopitar has recorded at least 60 points in 16 of his 20 NHL seasons and has been a major factor in the team’s two Stanley Cup championships.
Teammates reflect on how rare 1, 500 games is
Teammates have noted how uncommon the 1, 500-game club is. Adrian Kempe said, “Yeah, it’s crazy, 1, 500, I know I’m coming up on 700, I feel like that’s a lot, but you think about 1, 500 and that’s a long ways to go, ” speaking to Kopitar’s durability and longevity in the league and with the Kings.
Context underscores that rarity: roughly 8, 762 people have played in at least one NHL regular-season game, and only 24 players had reached 1, 500 games before Kopitar joined the group. Kopitar’s career path—two decades with one franchise and leadership as captain—helps explain why he stands among a handful of players who have matched that longevity with a single team.
Closing in on Marcel Dionne's franchise record
The milestone comes as Kopitar continues to close in on a separate franchise landmark. He has 1, 302 career points, and Marcel Dionne’s Kings record sits at 1, 307 points. Kopitar recorded his 1, 300th career point on February 5 with an assist on Trevor Moore’s goal in a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, underscoring how the pursuit of Dionne’s mark has been a season-long subplot.
Kopitar’s broader resume in the context of the milestone includes 103 career playoff games with 27 goals and 62 assists for 89 playoff points, two Selke Trophies, three Lady Byng Trophies, and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. This collection of achievements reinforces why teammates and observers have highlighted both his production and leadership in marking 1, 500 games.
The Kings entered the game tied into a tight race for the postseason: the team’s record going into the matchup stood at 24-22-14 with 62 points, sixth in the Pacific Division and still chasing a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
Looking ahead, the next concrete milestone for Kopitar is clear: surpassing Marcel Dionne’s franchise record of 1, 307 points. The Kings and their captain will keep chasing that mark as the regular season continues and the club fights for playoff positioning.
