The Los Angeles Kings announced Saturday night Drew Doughty will join Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, replacing Alex Pietrangelo.
Doughty, 35, had publicly stated his desire to participate in the tournament during the NHL’s scheduled break.
“I’m still hoping I have that outside chance to play in 4 Nations,” the Kings defenseman said. “I don’t want to break, I want to play. So, we’ll see what happens.”
Team Canada initially left Doughty off its Dec. 4 roster announcement while he recovered from a broken ankle suffered in training camp.
Since making his season debut Jan. 29, Doughty has averaged 26:07 of ice time across five games before Saturday’s matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.
The veteran defenseman brings significant international experience to Team Canada, having won Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014. He also competed in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the last best-on-best tournament.
The Vegas Golden Knights announced Jan. 26 that Pietrangelo would miss the tournament to address an injury and prepare for the remainder of the regular season. However, Pietrangelo played that same night and hasn’t missed any games since.
