Drew Doughty has secured a much-desired invitation to the 4 Nations Face-Off from Group Canada, getting added to the roster late Saturday as an harm alternative for Alex Pietrangelo.
The Los Angeles Kings defenseman missed 47 video games to start out the season after struggling a fractured left ankle in coaching camp. Consequently, he was handed over when Hockey Canada finalized its roster in early December.
However the potential of one other likelihood to don the Maple Leaf helped push Doughty via a protracted rehabilitation following surgical procedure. Earlier than making his season debut for the Kings on Jan. 29 in Florida, the 35-year-old informed reporters he hadn’t given up on the dream of getting the decision from Canada. He was elated when it lastly got here.
“Thrilling, thrilling day,” Doughty informed reporters in Los Angeles. “I had this on my thoughts ever since I’ve come again, and put a little bit an excessive amount of stress on myself to carry out at a really excessive degree. Recreation was type of up and down. Ever since I knew I had a extremely good likelihood, within the final two video games, I believe I acquired again to (being) myself.”
Pietrangelo pulled out of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Jan. 26 due to an ailment the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman is opting to relaxation throughout his crew’s two-week break for the event.
That opened up the roster spot given to Doughty.
Why did Doughty get the decision?
Let’s begin with the plain: His resume.
Two Stanley Cup wins, a Norris Trophy, extra minutes performed than any NHL skater within the 10 seasons previous this one and a glowing worldwide previous.
Past Sidney Crosby, Doughty is the one remaining tie to Group Canada’s golden era — the group that received gold medals on the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics plus the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The nation is 31-3-1 in video games during which Doughty performed. He’s two-thirds of the way in which to becoming a member of the unique Triple Gold Membership with solely a gold medal from the IIHF World Hockey Championship lacking from his trophy cupboard. Canada received silver in Doughty’s solely look at that occasion in 2009.
The burden of all these accomplishments factored closely into the decision-making course of and helped give Doughty an edge over the opposite potential right-shot, defense-first choices at Canada’s disposal: MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames, Chris Tanev of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Brandon Montour of the Seattle Kraken, amongst others.
In the end, Doughty needed to reveal to the Canadian mind belief that he was wholesome sufficient to be counted on so quickly after a big harm. The Kings actually didn’t ease him again into motion because the veteran returned with three video games in 4 nights on the highway and logged 23:51, 27:43 and 24:16 in these contests. Beginning with Wednesday’s win over Montreal, he performed one other three video games in 4 nights this week and noticed much more ice time: 25:16, 29:27 and 31:09.
“That’s a particular participant who can simply are available and try this after not enjoying,” Kings coach Jim Hiller stated lately. “He’s a gamer. He’s a champion.”
Group Canada was monitoring these video games carefully.
Doughty stored in touch with Canadian participant relations advisor Ryan Getzlaf, telling reporters that Getzlaf was inquiring about whether or not he believed he can be able to deal with top-tier worldwide competitors. Returning throughout a stretch when the Kings have been in Florida additionally allowed Doughty to have a face-to-face chat with Jon Cooper, the Canadian head coach, earlier than Los Angeles and Tampa performed at Amalie Enviornment final week.
The place does Doughty match?
This could change into clearer when Canada takes the ice for a pair practices in Montreal on Monday and Tuesday earlier than opening the event towards Sweden on Wednesday night time on the Bell Centre.
Doughty is certainly one of three right-shot defensemen on the roster, becoming a member of Cale Makar and Colton Parayko. The lefties are Devon Toews, Shea Theodore, Travis Sanheim and Josh Morrissey.
Solely six defensemen are anticipated to decorate for every sport, however Doughty is an effective guess to be certainly one of them given the crew’s desire to ice balanced defensive pairs that includes gamers on their robust facet of the ice.
Makar will virtually actually be Canada’s major power-play possibility on the purpose, however there could also be some secondary minutes on that unit for Doughty. He’ll additionally take an everyday shift at five-on-five and can be utilized on the penalty kill.
Simply stepping into the event represents a significant win after the longest harm absence of his 17-year NHL profession. He went eight months between significant video games from the top of the playoffs final spring and endured some difficult moments when he first resumed skating following ankle surgical procedure.
“At first I had doubts as a result of I acquired on the ice, my ankle didn’t really feel nice at first and I used to be like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I’m going to have the ability to skate and sustain with these guys,”‘ stated Doughty.
These doubts have since been put to relaxation. It was a protracted highway and this consequence was removed from sure.
“Straight away after I acquired injured this 12 months, that was actually my first thought: ‘Rattling it, I can’t make the (4 Nations) crew and play within the event,”‘ Doughty stated Saturday. “After which I heard about Pietrangelo sadly happening, and immediately I simply tried to start out getting again within the lineup and attempt to make that crew. I believe lots of people had me written off, do have me written off, so I’m actually proud to make this crew.
“Anytime I placed on that jersey means the world to me, so I’m able to go.”
(Picture: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Photos)
