Apr 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) during game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Kings Defenseman Expects Olympic Roster Spot

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Nick Horwat | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty is set to enter his 18th season in the NHL and has long been seen as one of the best blue liners in the league. Even at the age of 35, Doughty doesn’t feel like he’s taken a step back in on-ice production and can still help the Kings find success.

More than just helping lead the Kings, the veteran defenseman is confident he’ll get another chance to represent his home country at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Doughty spoke with NHL.com, saying he “expects” to represent Team Canada for the third time in his career.

“I expect to be on the team,” Doughty said. “I know it's going to be hard for me to make it, but personally I expect to be on that team. I do think making the best team in the world at 36 years old is quite an accomplishment. That would be amazing. I've honestly been thinking about this way too much and it's still so far away."

Doughty missed the beginning of the 2024-25 season thanks to an injury suffered during a preseason game but came back in time to skate in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Team Canada and St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong admitted that the preseason injury took Doughty off of their radar for the 4 Nations. Upon returning, however, Doughty made sure he caught everyone’s attention.

"He was injured and sort of off of our radar screen,” Armstrong said. “I was very impressed with the training he did because he came back and started to play like 26 minutes right out of the gate… He wanted to prove to Jon [Cooper] and the rest of our staff that he was ready to play."

Doughty will have to have a similar outlook when entering the 2025-26 season. He’ll need to be at the top of his game with the Kings, showing Team Canada that he can still bring it on the biggest stage.

"I showed I could still play at that level," Doughty said. "I mean, my ankle was mangled and I did pretty well."

Team Canada invited Doughty to Olympic Orientation camp, but making the team won’t be an easy task. Doughty will have to out-perform the likes of Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour and Colton Parayko to prove he’s worthy of the team.

Certain names like Cale Makar might already be locks on the right side, forcing Doughty to really step up his game.

The Kings will surely benefit from the 35-year-old taking his game to another level. Doughty is confident in his skillset and has high expectations for himself, now he just has to prove it.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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