Drew Doughty is in his first season as Los Angeles Kings captain and, while he is playing on an expiring contract, he has no intentions of it being his last.
The 37-year-old defenceman told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com he won’t be hanging up his skates any time soon.
“I think I can play until over 40,” Doughty said in comments posted Monday. “I believe I can. I’ve just got to stay healthy. The want to do it hasn’t dropped, so, until I lose that, I’m not going to retire.”
Doughty is in the final season of an eight-year, $88 million contract that features an average annual value of $11 million.
Kings general manager Ken Holland raised some eyebrows when he announced in June that Doughty would not be extended over the summer, but the veteran blueliner says his future is still with the Kings.
“He knows what I want. I believe he wants me to stay,” Doughty said of Holland. “We just haven’t talked about it yet. I feel like I’m performing better than I have in my past two seasons.
“So, I think that I’ll take a team-friendly deal and stay in L.A. That’s my plan.”
Doughty has one assist in nine games to start his 19th season with the Kings while averaging 20:58 of ice time, which is well below his career average of 25:57.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has slumped to a 2-5-2 start under new head coach Peter Laviolette.
Doughty scored five goals and added 18 assists over 72 games in 2025-26 while averaging 23:05 of ice time. He was unable to record a point in four playoff games as the Kings were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round.
An Olympic gold medallist in 2010 and 2014, Doughty was named to Team Canada for Milano Cortina 2026, producing one assist over six games as the Canadians settled for silver.
Selected second overall by the Kings in the 2008 NHL Draft, Doughty helped the team to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 and captured the Norris Trophy in 2016.