In roughly six months, NHL players will return to the Winter Olympics to represent their respective countries in Italy. Los Angeles Kings veteran defenseman Drew Doughty could potentially represent Team Canada for the second time in as many years (including the 4 Nations Tournament last year).
Drew Doughty is confident in his chances to represent Team Canada in 2026 for the Winter Olympics
Doughty has represented Team Canada twice in the Winter Olympic games since the Vancouver games in 2010. He won the Gold Medal with Team Canada in the Winter Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver and 2014 in Sochi.
The soon-to-be 36-year-old defenseman is confident that he should make the Team Canada roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Doughty told NHL.com last month that "I expect to be on the team".
"I know it's going to be hard for me to make it, but personally I expect to be on that team. I do think making the best team in the world at 36 years old is quite an accomplishment. That would be amazing. I've honestly been thinking about this way too much and it's still so far away."Drew Doughty
Doughty didn't play in the past two Winter Olympics to represent Team Canada. NHL players weren't allowed to play in the Winter Olympics since the games in 2014.
He's hoping to get one more shot to play with Team Canada, which means he would be suiting up for his country for a third time in his career in the league in the NHL.
"The focus is way different now. Now it upsets me my last few years we went through a rebuild, things kind of went downhill in my prime and I feel like people don't see how good I actually still play out there and I want to show everybody."Drew Doughty
Doughty and the Kings haven't made it past the first round of the playoffs in the West in over a decade (since the 2014 postseason when LA won the Stanley Cup for the 2013-14 campaign). The Kings need Doughty back in the mix and healthy after he missed half of the last regular season due to a lower-body injury from the preseason last fall.
This past season, Doughty played for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Tournament. He was a replacement in the lineup on the blue line for Alex Pietrangelo with Team Canada for the 4 Nations earlier this year.
Doughty needs to get off to a fast start in the season for 25-26 to build the momentum and a strong argument to make the roster for Team Canada for the defensive group in the Winter Olympics for 2026.