Tag: Drew Doughty

Drew Doughty named Kings captain, targets Stanley Cup

By IceHockeyMan Editorial Team | September 18, 2026

Story Summary

Drew Doughty has been named the 15th captain of the Los Angeles Kings. The 36-year-old defenseman, a Kings fixture since being selected No. 2 in the 2008 NHL Draft, said winning another Stanley Cup is what he plays for as he enters his 19th NHL season. Doughty, who won Cups with the Kings in 2012 and 2014 and has been part of the leadership group since 2016-17, replaces Anze Kopitar, who retired after 20 seasons with the club.

Key Facts

  • Doughty is 36 years old and is entering his 19th NHL season.
  • The Kings selected Doughty with the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft.
  • Doughty holds nearly every major franchise record for a defenceman, including regular-season points (709), goals (165), assists (544) and games played (1,279).
  • In the Stanley Cup Playoffs Doughty has 61 points (19 goals, 42 assists) in 105 games.
  • He helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014.
  • The Kings have not won a playoff series since defeating the New York Rangers in five games in the 2014 Cup Final.
  • The Kings have been eliminated in the Western Conference First Round in five straight seasons, including a four-game sweep by the Colorado Avalanche in April.
  • Doughty has been part of the Kings’ leadership group since 2016-17 and was named an alternate captain when Anze Kopitar replaced Dustin Brown as captain.
  • Anze Kopitar retired after 20 NHL seasons, all with the Kings, and sent Doughty a congratulatory text after the captaincy announcement.
  • Adrian Kempe was the first player to reach out to Doughty after the announcement; general manager Ken Holland said Kempe was among the top candidates for the vacancy and Kempe will remain an alternate captain.
  • Defenseman Mikey Anderson will remain an alternate captain, and forward Artemi Panarin joins the alternate group in his first full season with the Kings after being acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4.

IHM Discussion

Doughty’s elevation to captain is as much a recognition of long service as it is a declaration of the franchise’s identity. He has been a constant in Los Angeles since the Kings used the No. 2 pick on him in 2008, and the statistical record the club credits him with – 709 regular-season points, 165 goals, 544 assists and 1,279 games played at the position – underlines rare longevity for a defenceman. His playoff totals and two Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014 provide the pedigree for a renewed championship push. That objective carries weight: Doughty himself said, “That’s what I keep playing for. I want to win a championship.”

The timing of the captaincy follows the retirement of Anze Kopitar after a 20-season Kings career. Kopitar’s long tenure and contrasting leadership style – Kopitar as the quiet example, Doughty the loud, emotional presence – set the stage for a change in tone rather than a break with the recent past. Adrian Kempe and Mikey Anderson will remain alternate captains, while Artemi Panarin joins the group in his first full season with the Kings. General manager Ken Holland cited Doughty’s passion and pride as key factors in the decision.

Why It Matters

A captaincy is more than a dressing-room title: it is a public signal of who will set the standard on and off the ice. For the Kings, naming Doughty – a two-time Cup winner and franchise record-holder for defencemen – signals an organisational preference for experienced, outspoken leadership to guide a team that has struggled to win playoff series since 2014. That struggle is concrete: five consecutive first-round exits, most recently a four-game sweep by Colorado, gives Doughty a clear mandate to push the club back toward contention.

Fan Pulse

Supporters will likely welcome a familiar face into the captaincy. Doughty is not only the veteran star who helped bring the franchise its first two Stanley Cups, but also a player with a clear emotional attachment to the club: he grew up with LA Kings pillow covers and jerseys on his bedroom wall. That connection, combined with his on-ice production and stated desire to win another championship, gives fans a clear focal point for optimism and expectation heading into the new season.

Mini Q&A

Who is the new captain of the Los Angeles Kings?

Drew Doughty has been named the 15th captain of the Los Angeles Kings.

What are Doughty’s career highlights with the Kings?

Doughty was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, has franchise-leading totals for a defenceman in regular-season points (709), goals (165), assists (544) and games played (1,279), has 61 playoff points (19 goals, 42 assists) in 105 games, and won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2012 and 2014.

Why did the Kings make this change in captaincy?

Anze Kopitar retired after 20 NHL seasons with the Kings. Ken Holland said Doughty’s passion and pride made it feel natural to make him the next captain.

Who will serve as alternate captains?

Adrian Kempe and Mikey Anderson will remain alternate captains, and Artemi Panarin joins the group as the third alternate in his first full season with the Kings after being acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4.

What is Doughty’s stated priority as captain?

Doughty said his priority is to win a championship: “That’s what I keep playing for. I want to win a championship.”

Coach Mark Comment

Doughty’s louder, more emotional style gives the Kings a different captaincy voice from Kopitar’s quieter example-setting approach. With Kempe, Anderson and Panarin also in the leadership group, the challenge will be to turn that energy into clear, consistent standards across the room and on the ice.

What Comes Next

Doughty will enter his 19th NHL season wearing the ‘C’ for the Kings as the club pursues its first playoff-series victory since the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.

IHM Final View

Naming Drew Doughty captain is a logical move for the Kings. It honours a franchise cornerstone whose career achievements and emotional stake in the organisation give him clear authority. The more important measure, though, will be whether his leadership helps the Kings break a multi-year pattern of early playoff exits and return to championship contention.

Drew Doughty Named Kings Captain, Replacing Kopitar

By IceHockeyMan Editorial Team | September 17, 2026

Story Summary

Drew Doughty has been named captain of the Los Angeles Kings, the club announced. He replaces Anze Kopitar, who retired following the 2025-26 season after a 20-year NHL career, including 10 seasons as the Kings’ captain. Doughty has been an alternate captain since the 2015-16 season and has spent his entire 18-season NHL career with Los Angeles since being selected No. 2 overall in the 2008 NHL Draft. The Kings named forwards Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin and defenceman Mikey Anderson as alternate captains to join Doughty in the leadership group. Doughty is the franchise leader among defence players in points (709), goals (165), assists (544) and games played (1,279), and he holds the Kings’ playoff records for a defenceman with 61 points, 19 goals and 42 assists in 105 postseason games. His championship and international résumé includes Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, the 2016 Norris Trophy and Olympic gold medals for Canada in 2010 and 2014, plus an Olympic silver medal at Milano Cortina in 2026.

Key Facts

  • Drew Doughty was named captain of the Los Angeles Kings.
  • He replaces Anze Kopitar, who retired after the 2025-26 season following a 20-year NHL career and 10 seasons as the Kings’ captain.
  • Doughty had served as an alternate captain since the 2015-16 season.
  • Doughty has played his entire 18-season NHL career with the Kings since being selected No. 2 overall in the 2008 NHL Draft.
  • He is the franchise leader among defencemen in points (709), goals (165), assists (544) and games played (1,279).
  • Doughty holds the franchise Stanley Cup Playoff records for a defenceman with 61 points, 19 goals and 42 assists in 105 games.
  • He helped lead the Kings to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014 and won the Norris Trophy in 2016.
  • Internationally, Doughty won Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014 and took silver at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.
  • The Kings’ leadership group will include alternate captains Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin and Mikey Anderson.
  • Kings general manager and vice president Ken Holland said Doughty has earned the role, citing his championships and competition at the highest level.

IHM Discussion

The decision to name Drew Doughty captain formalises a leadership transition that had been building within the Kings for more than a decade. Anze Kopitar’s retirement closed a 20-year chapter in Los Angeles and left a vacancy at the head of a room that Doughty has already helped steady as an alternate since 2015-16. The choice is rooted in continuity: Doughty is a franchise lifer, entering his 18th season with Los Angeles and carrying an unmistakable record of on-ice production and postseason performance that sets him apart among NHL defencemen.

Statistically, Doughty’s standing with the Kings is emphatic. He leads all franchise defencemen in regular-season points (709), goals (165), assists (544) and games played (1,279). He has translated that regular-season production to the playoffs, where he holds the club records for a defenceman with 61 points, 19 goals and 42 assists in 105 postseason contests. Those numbers speak to a player who has combined longevity with sustained impact – qualities franchises commonly prize in a captain.

Beyond the counting stats, Doughty brings a championship résumé and individual accolades that reinforce the symbolic aspects of the role. He was an integral part of the Kings’ Stanley Cup-winning teams of 2012 and 2014 and was recognised as the League’s top defenceman with the Norris Trophy in 2016. Those achievements give Doughty the sort of credibility that helps bridge the dressing room and the front office; Ken Holland’s remark that Doughty “has earned this” underlines the organisation’s view of leadership by example.

The composition of the new leadership group – with Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin and Mikey Anderson as alternates – brings established forwards and another defenceman around the captain. That balance can help preserve continuity after Kopitar’s departure while sharing leadership responsibility across the roster.

Why It Matters

Captaincy matters because it is both a practical designation and a cultural symbol. Practically, the captain acts as the primary player representative to officials and the media and is often the central voice within the dressing room; culturally, the captain sets a standard. Naming a long-tenured, high-achievement player like Doughty sends an internal message about the values the Kings want to foreground: competitiveness, consistency and postseason experience.

For younger players and recently acquired talents, having a captain who has twice been through the Stanley Cup journey – and who holds franchise records among defencemen – can be stabilising. Kopitar’s retirement removes an established leader with whom the club had navigated two decades; Doughty’s promotion aims to supply a familiar and accomplished presence to replace that steadiness. The alternates named alongside him give the leadership group complementary skill sets: scoring and experience from forwards paired with Doughty’s defensive pedigree.

Mini Q&A

Who was named captain of the Los Angeles Kings?

Drew Doughty was named captain of the Los Angeles Kings.

Who did Doughty replace as captain?

He replaces Anze Kopitar, who retired following the 2025-26 season after 10 seasons as the Kings’ captain.

How long has Doughty been with the Kings?

Doughty has played his entire 18-season NHL career with the Kings since being selected No. 2 overall in the 2008 NHL Draft.

What leadership group will join Doughty?

The leadership group will include alternate captains Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin and Mikey Anderson.

What franchise records does Doughty hold?

He is the franchise leader among defencemen in points (709), goals (165), assists (544) and games played (1,279), and he holds the Kings’ playoff records for a defenceman with 61 points, 19 goals and 42 assists in 105 games.

What are Doughty’s major career achievements?

Doughty helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, won the Norris Trophy in 2016 and won Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014, plus silver at Milano Cortina in 2026.

Coach Mark Comment

Doughty’s appointment gives the Kings a captain with long-standing credibility in the room and experience of the standards required in playoff hockey. With Kempe, Panarin and Anderson serving as alternates, the leadership group has representation across the roster.

IHM Final View

Doughty’s appointment is a clear continuity move by the Kings: it rewards a franchise stalwart with a formal leadership role and pairs him with alternates who complement his strengths. The promotion acknowledges past success while signalling the club expects experienced, championship-tested standards to guide the roster going forward. For Los Angeles, the captaincy is no longer symbolic of the past; with Doughty it becomes an operational tool for steering the team through the post-Kopitar era.