Imagine waking up to the sound of Pacific waves in Southern California’s most coveted neighborhood. For many, this is the ultimate luxury living aspiration — and right now, the real estate world is buzzing with a property that brings that dream into sharp focus.
The Anže Kopitar House in Manhattan Beach has hit the market at $37 million, setting an all-time record asking price for the coastal city. Slovenia-born LA Kings captain Kopitar and his wife, Ines, acquired two neighboring homes on this site in November 2014 for a combined $10 million, then replaced every structure with a custom-built compound completed in 2018.
Listed by June Emerson of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty, the property arrives at a defining moment — as Kopitar closes the chapter on one of the most remarkable careers in franchise history. It offers a rare look inside a professional athlete’s private retreat, where world-class design meets the relaxed rhythm of beachside California.
The Legacy of the LA Kings Captain
Not many athletes can balance a demanding professional career with a grounded home life. For the LA Kings captain, the two have always been connected — his approach to hockey mirrors the care he brings to every detail of his personal world.
A Career Defined by Excellence
The 6-foot-3-inch center from Jesenice, Slovenia, joined the Kings organization in 2007 as the first Slovenian-born player to reach the NHL. In the years since, he has become the heartbeat of the franchise — a presence so consistent that his leadership style is often described as quiet but undeniable.
Kopitar’s professional résumé is extensive. Two Stanley Cup championships headline a career that also includes Selke Trophy recognition, a Hart Trophy finalist appearance in 2018, and an Ironman consistency that has defined more than a decade and a half at the sport’s highest level. He has surpassed 1,500 regular-season games — a milestone reached by fewer than 30 players in NHL history — and holds seven franchise records simultaneously, including the Kings’ all-time marks for games played, assists, points, and seasons played. He is also the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, having surpassed Marcel Dionne’s long-standing record.
What the numbers don’t capture is his conduct on the ice. In over 1,500 games, Kopitar has accumulated just 358 penalty minutes — the lowest total among all skaters who have reached that game milestone in NHL history. As teammate Kevin Fiala put it during an October press conference: “He’s an idol for everybody. An icon.”
His impact extends beyond the NHL as well. He represented Slovenia at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and competed for Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey — achievements that carry particular weight for a player from a country without a deep hockey tradition.
Transitioning from the Ice to California Luxury
The precision Kopitar brings to the rink is evident throughout his home. When the couple decided to rebuild in 2018, they approached it the same way he approaches a season — with thorough preparation and an eye for every detail.
The result is a residence that serves as both a family sanctuary and a reflection of professional achievement. As Kopitar’s career enters its final chapter — underscored by his nomination as the Kings’ candidate for the 2026 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, an award recognizing perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey — the home stands as a physical record of everything the journey has meant. For the LA Kings captain, a home near the Pacific is more than a lifestyle choice — it’s the foundation that supports everything else.
A Prime Location on the Manhattan Beach Strand
The Manhattan Beach Strand is one of Southern California’s most exclusive residential corridors. Nestled along the Pacific Ocean, it combines the tranquility of coastal living with proximity to everything Los Angeles has to offer.
The Appeal of Coastal Living
The Kopitar property sits on a pedestrian-only walk street that leads directly to the beach — no car traffic, no noise, just ocean air and open sky. Tall hedges surround the grounds, creating a private enclave that feels removed from the outside world despite being steps from the sand.
| Feature | Coastal Benefit | Lifestyle Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Access | Direct beach entry via walk street | Daily recreation and wellness |
| Air Quality | Fresh Pacific breezes | Health and recovery |
| Privacy | Pedestrian-only street, tall hedges | Exclusive seclusion |
| Views | Unobstructed ocean panoramas | High property value |
Why Manhattan Beach Remains a Celebrity Haven
Manhattan Beach has long attracted high-profile residents who value discretion. The neighborhood’s quiet streets, strong community, and beach access make it a natural fit for those seeking normalcy alongside proximity to the entertainment capital.
The fundamentals reinforce that appeal. Housing supply remains limited relative to demand, and the area’s adjacency to Silicon Beach — the coastal tech corridor running from Playa Vista through El Segundo — continues to draw high-net-worth professionals who want to live near both the industry and the ocean. With roughly 286 days of sunshine annually and year-round tourist appeal, the neighborhood’s value proposition extends well beyond the properties themselves.
At $37 million, this listing doesn’t just participate in the local market — it defines a new ceiling, claiming the highest asking price the city has ever seen.
The Architectural Grandeur of the Anže Kopitar House
Spanning approximately 7,600 square feet across a rare double lot, the estate is a striking example of coastal modern architecture. Every surface was built from the ground up in 2018, replacing the two modest homes that previously occupied the site.
An Estate Built for Living and Entertaining
The Kopitars’ connection to Manhattan Beach predates this compound — the family had been living in the neighborhood for several years before deciding to build. That familiarity with the area informed every decision, from lot selection to orientation, ensuring the finished residence would feel settled into its surroundings rather than imposed upon them.
The property comprises seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms across two structures. The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom main residence is complemented by a fully self-contained guesthouse featuring two bedrooms, two bathrooms, its own living area, a kitchen, and a private rooftop deck. A poolside bathroom with a shower adds convenience for guests spending time outdoors.
Connecting all levels is a four-stop elevator — a practical touch that speaks to the home’s long-term livability. The layout separates private retreats from social spaces with intention, so a quiet evening and a large gathering can coexist without compromise.
Modern Design Meets Coastal Elegance
The material palette bridges contemporary architecture and the natural beauty of the coastline. Light-toned hardwoods, natural stone, and expansive glass panels bring the Pacific light deep into the interior while grounding the home in its beachside setting.
The master retreat occupies its own wing, complete with a walk-in closet and an ocean-view balcony. The en-suite bath features dual vanities, a freestanding soaking tub, and a walk-in shower — a private spa experience designed for recovery after long seasons.
| Space | Design Approach | Material Choice |
|---|---|---|
| Living Areas | Open-Concept | Hardwood & Stone |
| Exterior | Coastal Modern | Glass & Stucco |
| Master Suite | Private Retreat | Natural Stone & Wood |
| Lighting | Natural Integration | Floor-to-Ceiling Windows |
Inside the Gourmet Kitchen Featuring a La Cornue Range
The kitchen is designed to be the social center of the home — a space where family meals and dinner parties feel equally natural. Its layout encourages conversation and connection, with sight lines that extend into the main living areas.
The Heart of the Home
An eat-in island anchors the room, providing casual seating for everyday meals while serving as a prep station for larger gatherings. Just beyond, an adjacent dining area opens onto a partially enclosed balcony equipped with a built-in barbecue station — blurring the line between indoor and outdoor entertaining.
Professional-Grade Appliances for Culinary Mastery
At the center of it all is the La Cornue range — a French-made cooking suite with a lineage stretching back to 1908, when founder Albert Dupuy introduced the brand’s patented vaulted oven design. Each unit is handmade at the Saint-Ouen l’Aumône workshop outside Paris and individually numbered by the craftsmen who build it, a process refined across three generations of expertise. With over 8,000 possible configurations available, La Cornue occupies a rare position in the culinary world: part professional-grade appliance, part commissioned piece that owners often pass down through families.
The kitchen is also outfitted with two refrigerators, a wine cooler, and thoughtful storage throughout — everything needed to host at scale without sacrificing organization.
| Feature | Benefit | Performance Level |
|---|---|---|
| La Cornue Range | Handmade in Paris; patented vaulted oven since 1908 | Professional Heritage |
| Dual Refrigerators | Ample Cold Storage | High-End |
| Wine Cooler | Convenient Access | Premium |
| Eat-In Island | Casual Dining & Prep | Custom |
The Disappearing Pool — AKVO Spiralift Technology
Among the home’s many features, one stands out as genuinely rare: a swimming pool and spa powered by AKVO Spiralift technology, a system that allows the pool floor to physically lift and lower at the touch of a button.
How It Works
The mechanism relies on a series of large pistons installed beneath the pool floor. When activated, the floor rises smoothly to deck level — the entire process takes just minutes — without displacing the water, which remains housed below. In its raised position, the surface becomes a flush courtyard terrace suitable for outdoor dinners, cocktail receptions, or simply expanding the usable entertaining footprint. Lowered, it reveals a full-depth swimming pool and spa ready for use.
The practical benefits extend beyond versatility. With the floor raised, the system functions as a built-in pool cover — significantly reducing water evaporation, heat loss, and cleaning demands while lowering chemical treatment requirements. The floor can also be set to intermediate depths, allowing the homeowner to adjust the pool and spa to different activities without draining or refilling.
This kind of adaptive design is exceptionally uncommon in residential properties. It transforms a single outdoor space into two entirely different environments, giving the homeowner flexibility that a conventional pool simply cannot match.
Outdoor Living Beyond the Pool
The pool area is surrounded by a fully equipped Lynx outdoor kitchen featuring a built-in pizza oven and two barbecues — turning the backyard into a year-round destination for alfresco dining. An outdoor fireplace nearby extends the usability of the space well into the cooler evenings.
The Ultimate Entertainment Experience in the Screening Room
Beyond the pool and kitchen, the home includes a dedicated screening room designed for immersive viewing. Whether it’s a film night or catching a live game, the space delivers a private cinema experience that rivals professional theaters.
Creating a Private Cinema Atmosphere
Acoustic treatments and carefully positioned sound panels ensure audio clarity throughout the room. Lighting is engineered to eliminate glare, creating the kind of darkness and focus that makes on-screen action feel immediate.
Technology and Comfort Combined
High-definition projection and multi-channel surround sound form the technical backbone of the room. Custom seating provides support for extended viewing, making it easy to settle in for a double feature or a full playoff broadcast.
The estate also includes a fully equipped fitness room, giving the home’s primary resident a private space to maintain conditioning between seasons — an amenity that reflects the demands of a professional athlete’s routine.
A Connoisseur’s Dream: The Climate-Controlled Wine Room
Tucked within the home is a climate-controlled wine room purpose-built for serious collectors. It’s a space where storage meets presentation, reflecting the owner’s appreciation for the finer details of hospitality.
Preserving a World-Class Collection
Precise temperature and humidity controls protect bottles from the fluctuations that can compromise aging. For collectors who view their wines as both personal enjoyment and long-term investment, this level of environmental management is essential.
Design Elements of the Wine Cellar
Custom racks display labels with gallery-like precision. Subtle lighting draws the eye across the collection, while dark wood and glass finishes create an atmosphere of understated elegance. The room is functional — designed to maintain ideal conditions — but it’s also a space worth lingering in.
Spacious Living Across a Rare Double Lot
Owning a double lot on the Manhattan Beach Strand is an anomaly. In a neighborhood where building parcels are tightly constrained, this kind of land footprint simply doesn’t come to market often — and it changes the entire character of the property.
The Rarity of Large Parcels in Manhattan Beach
Most homes here are built to the edges of their lots. The Kopitar compound breaks that pattern, gaining breathing room that translates into privacy, outdoor space, and a sense of arrival that narrower properties cannot replicate.
- Significant separation from neighboring structures.
- Room for custom landscaping, gardens, and outdoor amenities.
- Enhanced property value driven by scarcity of large coastal parcels.
- Space for the pool, outdoor kitchen, and entertaining zones without sacrificing green space.
Maximizing Indoor and Outdoor Flow
Large glass doors and open-plan living areas dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior. Ocean breezes move freely through the home, and the transition from living room to patio feels seamless — a design choice that takes full advantage of the Southern California climate.
Sustainable Living and Smart Home Technology
The 2018 rebuild was an opportunity to integrate modern energy and automation systems from the ground up. Rather than retrofitting an older structure, the Kopitars built efficiency into the home’s DNA.
Energy Independence
Solar panels generate power on-site, while Tesla Powerwall battery storage keeps the home running during grid outages or peak-rate hours. Together, they reduce the property’s reliance on external energy sources and lower long-term operating costs.
Automation and Comfort
Lutron automatic shades manage natural light and temperature throughout the day, adjusting without manual input. The four-stop elevator, integrated security, and centralized controls create a living environment that responds to the homeowner’s routine rather than demanding attention.
Parking and Access
The property includes covered parking for up to five vehicles — a practical consideration on a pedestrian-only street where curb space is limited. The parking area is equipped with Tesla Powerwall infrastructure, extending the home’s energy ecosystem to its vehicles.
Luxury Real Estate Amenities and Interior Design
Every room in the estate reflects a commitment to craftsmanship and material quality. The interiors balance sophistication with warmth, creating spaces that feel inviting rather than showroom-stiff.
High-End Finishes and Custom Details
Bespoke cabinetry keeps storage streamlined and out of sight. Stone countertops, wide-plank hardwood floors, and curated lighting fixtures signal quality without ostentation. The living room features a fireplace framed by ample built-in shelving, with glass doors that open directly onto a fireside balcony — a space that functions as an outdoor extension of the main gathering area.
Creating a Sanctuary for a Professional Athlete
That upstairs balcony is furnished with a pair of dual swinging sofas positioned beside the outdoor fireplace. It’s a detail that captures the home’s personality — designed for relaxation, conversation, and the kind of slow mornings that balance the intensity of a professional sports career.
Soft color palettes, natural textures, and a layout that supports both social entertaining and quiet retreat make the home a genuine sanctuary. For an athlete whose work life is defined by physical demand and public scrutiny, having a private space built around recovery and calm is more than a luxury — it’s a necessity.
The Walk Street Lifestyle in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach is known for more than its grand estates. Its walk streets — pedestrian-only lanes that run toward the beach — are a defining feature of the neighborhood’s character and a major reason the Kopitar property carries such distinction.
The Unique Charm of Walk Street Neighborhoods
Without car traffic, these paths become natural gathering places. Neighbors walk dogs, children play freely, and the pace of daily life slows to match the rhythm of the coast. Living on one of these streets isn’t just a location perk — it shapes the daily experience of being home.
Privacy and Community in a Beach Setting
Walk street living offers a rare balance. The absence of through-traffic provides quiet and security, while the shared pathway fosters casual connections among residents. For a high-profile family, this combination of seclusion and belonging is especially valuable.
- Safe outdoor play for children.
- Stronger neighborhood relationships and mutual awareness.
- Direct, peaceful access to the beach and local amenities.
Reflecting on a Storied Career and California Living
The LA Kings captain has built a life that bridges two worlds — the intensity of elite professional hockey and the calm of Manhattan Beach. One fuels the other, and the home is where that balance takes physical form.
Celebrating an Extraordinary Hockey Career
Kopitar’s career is defined by consistency, leadership, and clutch performance when it matters most. Two Stanley Cup titles stand as the headline achievements — in both championship runs, he led the Kings in playoff scoring — but the full picture includes years of steady excellence, Selke Trophy recognition, and the kind of respect from peers that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet.
| Milestone | Professional Achievement | Personal Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Championship Era | Two Stanley Cup Titles (2012, 2014); led playoffs in scoring both years | Deep roots in Los Angeles |
| Franchise Legacy | Seven simultaneous franchise records; all-time Kings leader in points, assists, and games played | Longest-tenured captain in franchise history |
| Career Longevity | 1,500+ regular-season games; fewer than 30 players in NHL history | Lowest penalty minutes of any skater at that milestone |
| International Impact | First Slovenian in the NHL; 2014 Olympian; 2016 World Cup participant | Pioneered hockey’s reach in Slovenia |
The Impact of California on the Kopitar Family
For Kopitar and his wife, Ines, California became more than a place to play hockey — it became home. The transition from Jesenice, a small city nestled in the Slovenian Alps, to Manhattan Beach was significant, but the family adapted with the same ease that defines Kopitar’s multilingual fluency — he speaks five languages. The coastal community embraced the family, and the couple built their lives around it.
The home they built in 2018 is a reflection of that journey — from the Slovenian Alps to one of the most exclusive addresses on the Pacific coast. It’s a compound designed not just for comfort, but for the kind of life they’ve earned through years of dedication.
Conclusion
The Anže Kopitar House is more than a $37 million listing. It’s the story of a professional athlete who brought the same precision and care to his home that he brings to the ice every night.
From the AKVO Spiralift pool to the La Cornue kitchen, from the walk street location to the climate-controlled wine room, every element of this Manhattan Beach compound has been thoughtfully considered. It represents the intersection of elite sport, architectural ambition, and the timeless appeal of Southern California coastal living.
Listed with June Emerson of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty, the property sets a new benchmark — not only for Manhattan Beach, but for what a professional athlete’s home can be. As Kopitar’s playing career reaches its final chapter, the compound stands as both an extraordinary legacy and an exceptional opportunity for its next owner.
What part of this remarkable estate stands out to you? Share your thoughts — and for hockey fans, it’s a chance to appreciate the world the LA Kings captain has built beyond the rink.