It takes a special kind of player to be a star right from the start of his NHL career. Doughty is one of those talents.

Selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, the London, Ontario, native boasts perhaps the best all-around game of any defenseman of his era. A strong skater who loves to join the rush, Doughty is known for springing teammates with crisp passes and is an extremely effective shutdown presence against top forwards. He is the first defenseman in Kings history to get 600 points, and his 112th multipoint game passed Rob Blake for the most in team history at the position when he got two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Jan. 31, 2023.

Doughty has been a stablizer throughout his NHL career. He was plus-24 in 2015-16, while leading the NHL in shot attempts (1,780) and ranking third in average ice time (28:01), to win the Norris Trophy voted as the top defenseman in the League. The accolades earned him an eight-year contract he agreed to with Los Angeles on July 1, 2018. Doughty played his 1,000th NHL game Jan. 27, 2022, a 3-2 win against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena, making him the first player from the 2008 NHL Draft to reach the milestone.

Doughty made the Kings at age 18 out of training camp in 2008-09, becoming the second-youngest defenseman in franchise history. He made his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 11, 2008, and scored his first NHL goal against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 20, 2008. He finished the season with six goals and 27 points, tying for the League lead in scoring and assists (21) among rookie defensemen. He also was second among NHL rookies with 114 blocked shots and third in power-play goals (three). A participant in the 2009 NHL YoungStars Game, Doughty was named to the 2008-09 NHL All-Rookie team and finished fifth in voting for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the league's top rookie.

In 2010 at age 20, Doughty became the second-youngest finalist (behind Bobby Orr) for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top defenseman. Among NHL defensemen he was tied for second with 16 goals and was third with 59 points.

In 2009-10 Doughty helped the Kings return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2002, tying for the team lead in goals (three) and points (seven). He had four points in the Kings' 5-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the first round.

In the 2012 playoffs, Doughty tied for the NHL lead with 12 assists and was fifth with 16 points as the Kings won their first championship. In 2014, Doughty led all NHL defensemen in playoff scoring with 18 points (five goals) as the Kings won the Stanley Cup for the second time. The Kings named him alternate captain prior to the 2015-16 season, when he became the second player in franchise history to win the Norris Trophy (Rob Blake, 1997-98).

Among his accomplishments in international play, Doughty won gold with Canada at the 2008 World Junior Championship, where he was named the top defenseman in the tournament after getting four assists in seven games.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• OHL All-Rookie Team (2006)
• OHL First All-Star Team (2007, 2008)
• Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team (2008)
• NHL All-Rookie Team (2009)
• NHL Second All-Star Team (2010, 2015)
• Olympic All-Star Team (2014)
• NHL First All-Star Team (2016, 2018)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)