LOS ANGELES – The only list that matters to Drew Doughty these days has nothing to do with being naughty or nice.
It involves being listed on Team Canada’s Olympic roster on New Year’s Eve.
And while most agree the 36-year-old blue liner has likely played well enough to be included with Canada’s other six backenders from the Four Nations Faceoff, Doughty admits he’s baffled there are some who disagree.
“When people are excluding me from that list, in my head I’m like, ‘I don’t understand how at all they could be doing that,” said the gap-toothed veteran inside the Los Angeles Kings’ practice facility.
“I mean, I am old, but man, I’m still playing at a high level.
“I’m still playing the most minutes on my team (for the 18th season in a row), playing in all our top situations. I know it’s not the national team, but you need older guys who are veteran guys who can play in those moments, and I know how to do that. I’ve done it before. The pressure is not going to get to me. S— doesn’t faze me.
“I always play my best in those situations.
“In my heart and mind, I expect to be there.”
As if one of the most decorated players of all time needed to remind anyone why he should be included as a depth defenceman, he’s all too happy to state his case.
“Obviously, I’m one of the only guys that have been there, so I think that is a plus,” said Doughty, who was a 20-year-old revelation on the 2010 Olympic team and Canada’s leading goal scorer in 2014.
“I’m playing well, I don’t have great offensive numbers or anything, but that’s not why Team Canada’s taking me. They’re taking me to be on the PK and shut down and stuff like that. I’ve been doing a great job with that this year. I’m still a high-level player and skating much better than I was last season. I did decently for them at Four Nations, and I’m playing way better this year than I could last year.”
Doughty was added as an injury replacement for Alex Pietrangelo at last year’s Four Nations tourney despite missing all but six games leading in with a broken ankle he described as being, “mangled.”
In the off-season, he had more surgery on it, and it requires an hour of rehab every day.
Doughty insists he’s still competing at the world-class level that has helped the Norris trophy winner collect two Stanley Cups, two Olympic golds, a world junior crown, and a Four Nations title.
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“Unfortunately, out here on the west coast, a lot of people don’t get to see what I do game in and game out,” said Doughty
“Obviously, my role is different for this team than it would be for the Canadian team, but I have poise out there. I don’t buckle under pressure when we’re under duress. I’m the guy that goes and settles it all down. I’m the guy that makes that play to get the momentum back on our side.”
Doughty credits former assistant coach John Stevens for teaching him to sacrifice some offence for the greater good, making him a great fit to play a depth role on a Canadian blue line that can take eight players to Milano-Cortina.
“He used to call me ‘Cowboy’ when I played too much offence, so I put that on the backburner,” said Doughty, who is the first to point out his two goals and 10 points in 27 games don’t jump off the page.
“He made me realize for our team to win, I needed to play both, so while I still tried to play offence, I wasn’t cheating, getting up as fourth man on the attack in situations that I shouldn’t, and not trying things on the blue line that could hurt us in the end.
“We won Stanley Cups, and I’m very proud of the two-way player that I am, and I take a lot of pride in being that player. I’ve been playing against the other team’s top lines for 17 years. I’d rather have that job than any other job.”
Doughty was in touch with Hockey Canada officials a month ago when he broke his toe and missed almost three weeks – an injury he insists doesn’t affect him on the ice.
Now he sits and waits, with hopes his name is announced Dec. 31 when the Canadian team is unveiled. And while there is plenty of debate surrounding the forwards on the team, it’s likely the Four Nations gang of Cale Makar, Josh Morrissey, Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore, Devon Toews and Doughty will be reunited.
“I thought what he did last year was incredible, to be able to go through that injury, play a handful of games and then go play at Four Nations – it was one of his greatest accomplishments in a storied career,” said Kings coach Jim Hiller, who still plays his top defenceman almost 23 minutes a night.
“This year, he had a great summer and got over the injury. He’s skating as well as he has in years. There’s no debate down here – he belongs on that team. You see the career, you see what he was able to do last year going in less than 100% .
“If you’re playing a big game, you want Drew on the ice.”
