Doughty quashes trade rumors: 'I don't want to win a Cup anywhere else but L.A.'
Not so fast, people, Drew Doughty is very happy just where is.
Despite sparking trade rumors over the weekend after implying that he was willing to go anywhere in order to have the best opportunity to win another championship, Doughty made it clear Tuesday that he wants to remain a Los Angeles King.
"I don't want to go anywhere else," Doughty said, according to Lisa Dillman of NHL.com.
Doughty's reiteration of his desire to stay in Los Angeles comes only days after he told The Hockey News that he didn't care where he played, as long as he won Cups.
On Tuesday, Doughty tried to shed some light on those comments: "My one comment, 'I don't care where I play. I just want to win (Stanley) Cups.' That is true. I just want to win Cups.
"When I said that, it didn't mean I didn't want to do it in L.A. The bottom line is all I care about is Cups," said Doughty. "I don't want to win a Cup anywhere else but L.A. That's the bottom line."
While the Kings struggled last season, missing the playoffs and finishing with their lowest full-season point total (86) since 2009, Doughty still feels that L.A. can compete, and he's excited about the future.
"It is one of the best organizations in sports," Doughty said. "We still have some of our best players in their prime. We have these young guys coming up. We've got new coaches. Everything about being here in L.A. is very exciting and promising."
In a league where athletes rarely speak candidly, Doughty's comments came as a breath of fresh air, but, that doesn't mean Kings supporters were happy to hear their No. 1 D-man say he was willing to win elsewhere.
"I just speak the truth and sometimes comments get taken in a different way. I've always wanted to be an L.A. King since I was 5 years old. When Wayne Gretzky came here, I wanted to be an L.A. King, no matter what."
Doughty is under contract with the Kings for another two seasons, becoming an unrestricted free agent in July of 2019.
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