Captain sets sail on treasure hunt

Luc Robitaille knew his hockey playing career was over when it took him longer to get his battered body ready for a game than it did to play it.

- KEVIN BAXTER

THE FINAL SEASON for Kings captain Anze Kopitar (11) begins on Tuesday.

"It became harder and harder physically," said Robitaille, whose next stop was the Hall of Fame. "I think I knew at that point."

And once his mind was made up, there was no turning back.

For Anze Kopitar, who is in the peak of good health, the decision was a little different. The Kings' longtime center announced last month that, at 38, he will retire after this season and spend more time with his family. But, like Robitaille, there will be no turning back.

"I'm not going to change my mind," he said.

In fact, he's not going to change anything. Kopitar said he's approaching this season, his 20th with the Kings, the same way he approached the first 19.

"The last few years, I told myself that I have to enjoy it because you don't know when the ending is [coming]," he said. "So I've been enjoying it. I'm obviously having a lot of fun, still playing the game. This year won't be any different.

"The focus is still on this season." A season that kicks off Tuesday when the Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. But while Kopitar is starting the season the same way as always, he's hoping for a different ending since the Kings' last four years have ended with first-round playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers.

Another Stanley Cup title would be a nice parting gift, especially since Kopitar, entering a team-record 10th season as captain, would be the first man to hoist the trophy, an honor that went to Dustin Brown when the Kings won in 2012 and 2014.

"I'd like to win every year.

I'd like to win this year," he said.