Drew Doughty Named 15th Captain in Kings History After Anze Kopitar's NHL Retirement

The Los Angeles Kings announced Wednesday that defenseman Drew Doughty will be the 15th captain in team history following the retirement of Anze Kopitar, who wore the "C" for 10 years.

"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 in a statement. "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."

Doughty, 36, has spent his entire 18-year career with the Kings, which has included two Stanley Cup titles, five All-Star Game selections, and the Norris Trophy in the 2015-16 campaign.

His 1,279 games played in Los Angeles are just 17 shy of Dustin Brown for the second most in franchise history, and his 165 goals are the most scored by a defenseman in Kings' history.

"Drew Doughty has earned this," general manager and vice president Ken Holland said in a statement. "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."

In the 2025-26 season Doughty appeared in 72 games and was plus-four on the year, notching five goals and 18 assists while averaging 23:05 of ice time per contest.

"Drew is a player I've admired from afar for a long time," head coach Peter Laviolette noted. "Since getting to know him better as a person, it's clear he's the right choice to be captain of this team. He sets the tone with the way he competes, and that's contagious."

Forwards Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin and defenseman Mikey Anderson will operate as alternate captains during the 2026-27 campaign.