Anze Kopitar to play in 1,500th NHL game as Kings host Islanders

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar will reach the milestone in Thursday's game against the New York Islanders.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar is set to play in his 1,500th NHL regular-season game on Thursday when the Kings host the New York Islanders. Kopitar, who has played his entire 20-year career with the Kings, is one of only three active players to reach the 1,500-game milestone. The Kings are hoping to earn their first win under new head coach D.J. Smith, who took over after the team's poor start to the post-Olympic break.

Why it matters

Kopitar's 1,500th game is a significant milestone in his illustrious career, cementing his status as one of the most durable and accomplished players in the NHL. The Kings are also hoping to turn their season around under the new coaching staff and make a push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The details

The Kings faced off against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and showed improvement under new head coach D.J. Smith, despite losing 4-2. Smith was pleased with the team's effort and physicality, and expects the Kings to continue playing that style of game. The Kings will be getting several key players back from injury and illness, including defensemen Drew Doughty and Jacob Moverare, forward Trevor Moore, and goalie Darcy Kuemper. However, they will be without forward Quinton Byfield due to an upper-body injury.

  • Anze Kopitar will play in his 1,500th NHL regular-season game on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
  • D.J. Smith took over as the Kings' head coach on Sunday, March 3, 2026, after the team's woeful start to the post-Olympic break.

The players

Anze Kopitar

The 38-year-old Los Angeles Kings captain has played his entire 20-year NHL career with the Kings, who selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NHL Draft. He is one of only three active players to have appeared in 1,500 or more NHL regular-season games.

D.J. Smith

The new head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, taking over after the team's woeful start to the post-Olympic break.

Jim Hiller

The former head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, who was fired on Sunday, March 3, 2026.

Drew Doughty

A defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings who has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury but is expected to return against the Islanders.

Jacob Moverare

A defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings who missed the last game for the birth of his son, Milan, but is expected to return against the Islanders.

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What they’re saying

“You need the points for sure, but at this point, you can't fault the effort. We're going to need that every game.”

— D.J. Smith, Head Coach, Los Angeles Kings (statenews.net)

“If we want to play at the pace that I expect them to play at, to forecheck and to hit, everyone's going to have to take a little bit shorter shifts, everyone's going to have to play harder while they're on the ice. We're going to need all four lines. One guy might be in one night, one guy might be out, but I wouldn't count us out.”

— D.J. Smith, Head Coach, Los Angeles Kings (statenews.net)

“We had 40-something shots on net. Maybe we could have done a little bit better job getting in front of those, taking the goalie's eyes away from the puck and that would have helped, but overall they played a good game and there are things we could have done a little bit better early on.”

— Patrick Roy, Head Coach, New York Islanders (statenews.net)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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