Long-time Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has been named the 15th captain in franchise history following Anze Kopitar’s retirement.
Since Kopitar hung up his skates at the end of last season, the Kings have been without a captain.
But Doughty, who is entering his 19th NHL season, all with the Kings, was always the frontrunner for the honor, and now it’s official.
Kings Name Drew Doughty Team Captain
The Kings made it official in a statement on their team website: Doughty is the new team captain.
“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,” Kings general manager and cice president Ken Holland said.
Doughty made it clear after Kopitar retired that he was interested in wearing the ‘C‘, and now it’s been made official by the team.
“Drew is a player I’ve admired from afar for a long time. Since getting to know him better as a person, it’s clear he’s the right choice to be captain of this team. He sets the tone with the way he competes, and that’s contagious,” Kings head coach Peter Laviolette said.
Drew Doughty Reacts to Being Named Kings Captain
Doughty himself shared his ecstatic reaction to being named the Kings’ new team captain, as he knows this is a huge honor.
“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,” Doughty said.
The 36-year-old Doughty was originally drafted by the Kings in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft with the No. 2 overall pick. He has spent his entire 18-year career in the NHL with the Kings, winning two Stanley Cups with the franchise and also one Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.
He has played in 1,279 regular-season games with the Kings, scoring 165 goals and adding 709 points for Los Angeles. During the postseason, Doughty has added 19 goals and 61 points in 105 playoff games.
As one of the best Kings players of all time, and also its longest-tenured player at the moment, Doughty was always the natural choice to become the team’s captain after Kopitar retired from the sport.
With Doughty now the team captain, the tone has been set for the Kings this season as the team looks to get back into the playoffs and make a deep playoff run this season under coach Laviolette.
Drew Doughty Named LA Kings Captain