The Los Angeles Kings named defenseman Drew Doughty the 15th captain in franchise history Wednesday.
Doughty is entering his 19th season with the Kings and ranks third in franchise history in games played (1,279). The 36-year-old had been an alternate captain since 2016.
"Being named captain of an NHL team is something I'm truly honored by, and it's something I take great pride in," Doughty said. "I try to compete as hard as I possibly can every single day for this team, and winning is what fuels me; it's why I keep pushing to get better and chase success.
"The Kings mean everything to me. I've played my entire career here, and I want to lead this team by example, showing what it means to be a King and what it takes to win championships."
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles' previous captain, retired at the end of last season. Kopitar had been the Kings' captain since 2016.
"Drew Doughty has earned this," Kings general manager Ken Holland said. "He's a champion who's won Stanley Cups and competed at the highest level of this game for a long time, and he's shown he can lead this team by the way he competes every day. That's the standard we want to set, and there's no one better to set it than Drew."
Doughty tallied five goals and 23 points in 72 games last season. He represented Canada at the Olympics in February for the third time.
The London, Ontario, native is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Doughty won the Norris Trophy in 2016 as the NHL's best defenseman.
The Kings also announced that forwards Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin, plus defenseman Mikey Anderson, will serve as alternate captains.
