Doughty Named Kings Captain After Kopitar Retirement
16 sourcesUpdated Sep 17, 2026
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The Los Angeles Kings named defenseman Drew Doughty the 15th captain in franchise history on September 16, 2026. He succeeds Anze Kopitar, who retired after the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and held the captaincy for the second decade of his 20-year career. General manager Ken Holland said Doughty has earned the role as a champion who has won Stanley Cups and shown he can lead by how he competes every day, adding there is no one better to set that standard. Doughty said being named captain is something he is truly honored by and takes great pride in, and that the Kings mean everything to him as he aims to lead by example. Doughty, 36, has 1,279 games, 165 goals, 544 assists and 709 points, all with Los Angeles. A second-overall pick in 2008, he won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, the 2016 Norris Trophy and two Olympic gold medals. The team named Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin and Mikey Anderson alternate captains. Wire reports say he is entering his 19th season; the New York Times and Yahoo put it at his 18th. Los Angeles begins 2026-27 on September 30 against the Colorado Avalanche.
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“Kings name longtime defensive star Drew Doughty captain”Right· 0 sources
No right coverage yet — a bubble gap.
The alternates look like a balanced group but I wonder how Panarin fits in long term with the Kings.
Doughty earned this captaincy after all those years backing up Kopitar and winning two cups.
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