Drew Doughty has been a fixture on the Team Canadas of years past and is coming off a solid 2023-24 season, but with the 34-year-old defenseman suffering an ankle injury on Wednesday, will he still be on Canada's roster come February's 4 Nations Face-Off?
Drew DoughtyWith the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off set to debut in February 2025, hockey fans and analysts have put together their dream lineups for Team Canada, Team Sweden, Team USA and Team Finland, which will be filled with high-end talent from top to bottom.
Team Canada will have an elite pool of offensive defensemen to choose from ahead of the tournament, headlined by Cale Makar, Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson and Josh Morrissey.
It’s also likely that GM Don Sweeney will bring in some veteran players with some international experience, making Drew Doughty an intriguing and popular option on the right side for Team Canada.
Doughty has a long history representing his country, playing in the U-18s, the world juniors, the World Cup of Hockey and the Olympics. He was the youngest player on the 2010 Canadian team that won Olympic gold on home soil in Vancouver, B.C., and he won again four years later in Sochi. He most recently played for Canada in the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, recording two assists in six games.
The 34-year-old is also coming off a 15-goal, 50-point season in 2023-24, finishing just one goal shy of his career high, which he set back in the 2009-10 season. Doughty was also one of the strongest defensive players on a Kings team that had the third-best goals-against average last season (2.56 GAA) while playing a team-high 25:48 of ice time per game.
However, Doughty could face a major setback after suffering a left ankle injury on Wednesday in the Kings’ pre-season bout against the Vegas Golden Knights.
If his injury does end up impacting his ability to play long-term, there will be some decent competition for a bottom-pairing spot right behind him in Shea Theodore, Mackenzie Weegar and Aaron Ekblad.
While his timeline for recovery is unclear, Doughty’s consistency and history of success on the international stage should make him a near lock to hit the ice for Team Canada if he is healthy.
This will likely be the last opportunity that the London, Ontario native will have to suit up on the international stage, and it would be very surprising if he isn’t named to their roster in November.