- Drew Doughty is the 15th captain in Los Angeles Kings history
- He replaces Anze Kopitar, who retired after 10 seasons wearing the C
- Read below for Doughty’s reaction, the new alternates and his place in Kings history
Drew Doughty is the 15th captain in Los Angeles Kings history.
The Kings made it official Wednesday, handing the C to the 36-year-old defenseman who has spent all 18 of his NHL seasons in Los Angeles. He takes over from Anze Kopitar, who retired this past summer after a decade with the letter on his chest.
Doughty had been an alternate captain since 2015-16, so the promotion was not a shock. He spoke about the job in the team’s announcement.
“Being named captain of an NHL team is something I’m truly honored by, and it’s something I take great pride in. I try to compete as hard as I possibly can every single day for this team, and winning is what fuels me, it’s why I keep pushing to get better and chase success. The Kings mean everything to me. I’ve played my entire career here, and I want to lead this team by example, showing what it means to be a King and what it takes to win championships.”
Watch the Kings put a bow on it:
Forwards Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin and defenseman Mikey Anderson round out the leadership group as alternates.
The resume is not in question. Doughty owns the franchise records for a Kings defenseman in points (709), goals (165), assists (544) and games played (1,279), and he holds the same four marks for a blueliner in the playoffs. He won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 and took the Norris Trophy in 2016.
Internationally, he has two Olympic golds with Canada, from Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014, plus a silver in Milano Cortina this past February.
General manager Ken Holland was asked why Doughty, and he did not dance around it.
“Drew Doughty has earned this. He’s a champion who’s won Stanley Cups and competed at the highest level of this game for a long time, and he’s shown he can lead this team by the way he competes every day. That’s the standard we want to set, and there’s no one better to set it than Drew.”
Only three men have captained the Kings since Doughty arrived as the second overall pick in 2008: Dustin Brown, Kopitar and now him. The list he joins in Los Angeles also includes Wayne Gretzky, Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille and Bob Pulford.
Last season was a quiet one by his standards, five goals and 23 points in 72 games. He turns 37 in December, and he is now the loudest voice in a Kings room that just lost its longest-serving one.
