Drew Doughty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Drew Doughty
Doughty with the Los Angeles Kings in October 2022
Born	(1989-12-08) December 8, 1989 (age 35) London, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Right
NHL team	Los Angeles Kings
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	2nd overall, 2008 Los Angeles Kings
Playing career	2008–present

Drew Doughty (born December 8, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is a skilled defenceman and an alternate captain for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Kings chose him second overall in the 2008 NHL entry draft. Before joining the NHL, he played for the Guelph Storm in the OHL. There, he was twice named the league's best offensive defenceman. Many people think he was one of the best defencemen in the NHL during the 2010s.

Drew Doughty started his NHL career in 2008 when he was just 18 years old. He was even named to the All-Rookie Team that year. He has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Kings, in 2012 and 2014. He also has two Olympic gold medals with the Canadian national team from 2010 and 2014. In 2009, he won a silver medal at the World Championship. He also won a gold medal at the World Junior Championship in 2008. Drew Doughty was a finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy (given to the league's best defenceman) four times, and he won it in 2016.

Drew Doughty's Early Life and Hockey Start

Drew Doughty was born in London, Ontario, Canada. His parents are Paul and Connie Doughty. He started playing hockey very early. For his first birthday, he received a mini hockey stick. He was skating by age two and playing hockey games before he turned four.

Drew also played soccer when he was younger. He was a goalkeeper, which is like a goalie in hockey. His dad loved soccer, and his sister Chelsea is even named after the famous English soccer team, Chelsea F.C.. Drew was good enough to be considered for a provincial under-14 soccer team. However, he decided to focus only on hockey when he was 16. He believes that playing goalie in soccer helped him understand how players move and how the game works in hockey.

Drew Doughty's Hockey Journey

Playing in Junior Hockey Leagues

The Guelph Storm picked Drew Doughty fifth overall in the 2005 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft. In his first season (2005–06), he scored 5 goals and 33 points. He was named to the OHL All-Rookie Team as a defenceman.

In 2007, Drew played in the OHL All-Star Game. Coaches in the league voted him the top offensive defenceman after he scored 74 points in the 2006–07 season. He won these honors again in the 2007–08 season, scoring 50 points. He also received the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL's best defenceman.

Before the 2008 NHL entry draft, NHL Central Scouting ranked Drew Doughty as the third best North American player. The Los Angeles Kings chose him second overall. Drew was very excited because he grew up as a Kings fan and always wanted to play in Los Angeles.

Becoming a Star with the Los Angeles Kings (2008–Present)

Starting Strong in Los Angeles (2008–2011)

Drew Doughty made the Kings' team right away for the 2008–09 season. He was one of only eight 18-year-olds to play in the NHL that year. Drew was surprised to make the team so quickly. He played his first NHL game on October 11, 2008, against the San Jose Sharks. He scored his first goal on October 20 against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Kings decided to keep him on the team for the whole season. His defensive partner, Sean O'Donnell, praised Drew's maturity. On November 6, Drew got his first NHL assist in a game against the Florida Panthers. In his first season, he played 81 games, scoring 6 goals and 21 assists. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and played in the Youngstars Game during the 2009 All-Star events.

Doughty with the Kings in April 2009, during his rookie season in the NHL.

Drew Doughty got even better in his second season (2009–10), scoring 59 points. He was third in scoring among all defencemen in the league. He was named to the second all-star team and was a finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy. His coach, Terry Murray, was very impressed with his improvement. Drew helped the Kings reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002. They lost in the first round, but Drew scored his first playoff goal in Game 3.

In the 2010–11 season, Drew's points dropped a bit to 40. However, he reached 100 career points on December 21, 2010. After this season, Drew and the Kings had some trouble agreeing on a new contract. The Kings offered him a big contract, but Drew wanted more.

Winning the Stanley Cup (2011–2015)

Doughty with the Stanley Cup after the Kings won Game six of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals

On September 29, 2011, Drew Doughty signed a huge eight-year, $56 million contract with the Kings. This made him the highest-paid player on the team at the time. He missed some training camp before signing. Early in the 2011–12 season, Drew got a concussion, which made him miss five games. He struggled a bit when he returned, and some people said he wasn't in top shape. Drew himself admitted he wasn't enjoying the game much at first.

Things changed when the team got a new coach, Darryl Sutter, in December 2011. Coach Sutter emphasized being prepared. Drew's role changed to focusing more on stopping the other team's best players. He scored 36 points that season. The Kings barely made it into the 2012 playoffs as the last team in their conference.

In the playoffs, Drew and the Kings surprised everyone. They beat the top-ranked Vancouver Canucks, then swept the St. Louis Blues. They then defeated the Phoenix Coyotes to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for only the second time in team history. Drew was the top-scoring defenceman in the playoffs, with 4 goals and 12 assists for 16 points. He helped the Kings win their first-ever Stanley Cup championship! Many people said Drew was the best player in the final series against the New Jersey Devils.

In the 2012–13 season, which was shorter due to a lockout, Drew scored 22 points. The Kings made another deep playoff run in the 2013 playoffs. They beat the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks. However, they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Drew Doughty won his second Stanley Cup championship in 2014. The Kings had an amazing playoff run, coming back from being down 3-0 in their first series against the San Jose Sharks. They also won tough seven-game series against the Anaheim Ducks and the Chicago Blackhawks. In the Stanley Cup Finals, they defeated the New York Rangers in five games. Drew Doughty became one of only a few players to win both an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year.

On February 21, 2015, Drew played his 500th NHL game. Even though the Kings missed the playoffs that year, Drew played in all 82 games. He scored 7 goals, 39 assists, and 46 points. He was a finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy again, but Erik Karlsson won it.

Winning the Norris Trophy and Continued Success (2015–2023)

During the 2015–16 season, Drew Doughty had a career-high plus-24 rating, which means he was on the ice for many more goals scored by his team than by the other team. He also played in all 82 games, scoring 14 goals and 37 assists for 51 points. At the end of the year, Drew won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman! This was a huge achievement for him.

Doughty warming up prior to a playoff game in April 2016

In the 2016–17 season, Drew was chosen to play in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. He was the top-scoring defenceman on his team.

For the 2017–18 season, Drew was again selected for the All-Star Game, making it his fourth time in a row. He was also a finalist for the Norris Trophy once more. On January 30, 2018, Drew scored his 100th NHL goal. In the 2018 playoffs, he was suspended for one game for an illegal hit. The Kings were swept in that series.

On July 1, 2018, Drew Doughty signed a new eight-year, $88 million contract with the Kings. This contract keeps him with the team until the 2026–27 season.

On October 8, 2019, Drew scored the winning goal in a game against the Calgary Flames. After the goal, his celebration got a lot of attention from the media.

At the start of the 2021–22 season, Drew was leading all NHL defencemen in scoring. However, on October 22, 2021, he got injured in a game and missed 16 games. On January 27, 2022, Drew played his 1,000th NHL game, a big milestone! He got injured again on March 7, needing wrist surgery that ended his season. He played 39 games that season, scoring 7 goals and 24 assists for 31 points.

In the 2022–23, Drew bounced back from his injuries. He played 81 games, scoring 9 goals and 43 assists for 52 points. In the 2023 playoffs, he had three assists but no goals as the Kings lost in the first round.

Recent Seasons (2023–Present)

On October 21, 2023, Drew Doughty played his 1,100th NHL game. He became only the fourth player in Kings history to reach this milestone. On February 29, 2024, he recorded his 500th career assist. Drew finished the 2023–24 season with 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points in all 82 games. The Kings faced the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row and lost in five games. Drew scored two goals and one assist in those five games.

On September 25, 2024, Drew Doughty got injured in a pre-season game. He broke his ankle and needed surgery. This injury meant he missed most of the 2024–25 regular season while he recovered. On January 29, 2025, Drew made his season debut in the 48th game of the season.

Drew Doughty's International Hockey Career

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Winter Olympics
Gold	2010 Vancouver
Gold	2014 Sochi
World Championships
Silver	2009 Switzerland
Canada Cup/World Cup
Gold	2016 Toronto
4 Nations Face-Off
Winner	2025 Canada/United States
World Junior Championships
Gold	2008 Czech Republic

In 2006, Drew Doughty played for Team Ontario at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He then won a gold medal with the national under-18 team. He also played in the 2007 World U18 Championships.

Drew was chosen to play in the 2007 Super Series, a special eight-game tournament against the Russian junior team. Canada won seven games and tied one, finishing unbeaten. He then earned a spot on the team for the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Drew was named a tournament all-star and the best defenceman. He helped Canada win their fourth gold medal in a row at that tournament.

Doughty (number 8) celebrates moments after Sidney Crosby's gold-medal winning goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics over the United States.

After his first NHL season, Drew Doughty joined the senior team for the 2009 World Championships. He scored 1 goal and 6 assists. Canada won the silver medal after losing to Russia in the final.

His great play earned him an invitation to Canada's training camp for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Drew earned one of the last spots on the Canadian defence. He became the youngest player to represent Canada in a major tournament since Eric Lindros in 1991. Drew became one of the top defencemen on the team and won a gold medal as Canada beat the United States in the final game. He was on the ice when Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal in overtime!

Drew Doughty was a star at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Canada defended its gold medal title there. He led the team with four goals. The Canadian defence was amazing, allowing only three goals in six games. This was one of the best team performances in Olympic history.

Drew Doughty's Personal Life

Drew Doughty's grandparents on his mother's side came to Canada from Portugal in the 1950s. His grandparents on his father's side came from England in the 1970s.

Drew married his high school sweetheart, Nicole Arruda, on August 8, 2018.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Bold indicates led league

International Play Statistics

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006	Canada	IH18			4	0	4	4	6
2007	Canada	WJC18	4th		6	2	3	5	8
2007	Canada	SS			8	0	2	2	4
2008	Canada	WJC			7	0	4	4	0
2009	Canada	WC			9	1	6	7	4
2010	Canada	Oly			7	0	2	2	2
2014	Canada	Oly			6	4	2	6	0
2016	Canada	WCH			6	0	2	2	2
2025	Canada	4NF			4	0	1	1	0
Junior totals					25	2	13	15	18
Senior totals					32	5	13	18	8

Awards and Honours