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Los Angeles has officially named Drew Doughty as the 15th captain in Kings history. Yep, that’s the veteran defenseman, and the move feels like a big moment for the franchise, because Doughty steps in- right after the retirement of the long-time guy Anze Kopitar. The whole call was endorsed, and I mean formally backed, by general manager Ken Holland plus head coach Peter Laviolette, and both were basically pointing at Doughty’s top-tier competitiveness, steady leadership, and those years of devotion to the team. Also, along with him, the Kings said forward Adrian Kempe- forward Artemi Panarin, and defenseman Mikey Anderson will act as alternate captains for the 2026-27 NHL season.
Drew Doughty Named 15th Captain In Kings History | Pro Hockey Rumors
A championship legacy
Doughty was drafted second overall by Los Angeles back in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, and he’s now the only player still on the current roster from those two Stanley Cup teams in 2012 and 2014. In his 18 finished NHL seasons, all of it spent wearing silver and black, the 36-year-old blueliner has piled up a really decorated list of stuff. In 2016 he won the James Norris Memorial Trophy, basically recognized as the league’s top defenseman. He also racked up- four total Norris Trophy nominations, collected five NHL All-Star nods, and won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada.(Drew Doughty Named Kings Captain: The Last Man Standing From Los Angeles’ Championship Era.)
Unmatched franchise records
Doughty is heading into what would be his 19th pro season, and right now he’s holding almost every major Kings regular-season record for defensemen. That includes 165 goals, 544 assists and 709 points. He’s also played 1,279 regular-season games with Los Angeles, and that puts him only 17 contests behind former captain Dustin Brown for second spot on the Kings all-time games played list. And, weirdly impressive too, his career totals place him in that short group of five defensemen in NHL history who have logged at least 1,200 games with a single organization.(Drew Doughty Named 15th Captain In Kings History | Pro Hockey Rumors
Steering the next era
This captaincy move also feels like a pretty clear leadership handoff, the franchise trying to mix veteran judgment with younger energy. Doughty is in the final year of his eight-year deal, and he’s bringing this loud, high-energy presence, something that should fit alongside a leadership group dealing with a new coaching staff situation. Once he puts the captain’s “C” on the sweater, he’ll basically act like the steady centerpoint of the Kings identity, while helping steer the next wave of Kings players toward contention or at least, toward something close to that.
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