There he was. Nearing midnight, in a tiny dressing room deep inside TD Garden. It was an area about half the size of his usual locker room spread in Los Angeles. This one had plastic tarps everywhere and the room reeked of spilled champagne, with dozens of expensive bottles still on ice just a few feet away.
Drew Doughty was holding a can of Miller Lite while we chatted. He hadn’t had a smile like this in years.
“It’s an amazing feeling – the best, the best, the best feeling!” he said, not too long after hoisting the 4 Nations Face-off trophy high above his head following Canada’s overtime victory in a game for the ages. “It’s been a long time since I felt something like that.”
Small details in big moments can often be part of one’s lasting memory. Unlike his usual spot at the front of the line for such celebrations, the 35-year-old defenseman had to wait quite a bit — and what likely seemed like eternity — for his official coronation. After Conor McDavid’s goal defeated Team USA, there was the usual throwing of their gear, hugs, screams, plus the handshake line. Then, Canada lined up to receive their medals, and Doughty was at the back of the line. Players were announced in order, by number. Wearing No. 89 in the tournament pushed Doughty to the rear.
“Well, I thought I was going to be in-between Crosby and McDavid,” he said, when asked what was going through his mind while waiting. “I was like, well, that’s not a good spot to be in. So, luckily, they named me, then McDavid, then Crosby.”
He’s already won it all, done it all.
Never one to shy away from a question, Doughty had no problem admitting he’s already thought about the fact this might have been the last time he ever wears a Team Canada jersey.
“I hope not; I really hope not,” he began. “I think I played pretty well. I’m still not exactly myself yet, [but I did get] much better. I’m looking forward to making that team next year. It’s going to take a lot of work and good play, but… I’ve already thought about that, that’s what’s wild.”
Thursday night was a huge game no matter how you slice it. Canada-USA nearly always delivers epic results on the ice, and the 4 Nations final once again rose to the occasion. For Doughty, hours earlier, with the game quickly approaching, nerves weren’t a factor.
“No problem, felt good,” shared the grizzled hockey veteran. “I would say I was more nervous for the first game against Sweden, because I wasn’t ready for that speed, wasn’t ready for those emotions [after] sitting out most of the season. No nerves tonight at all, to be honest.”
As if it was just another game — despite being on the biggest stage possible — Doughty added that the talk in the room before overtime began was pretty typical, rather ho-hum.
“Same old sh*t, ‘Just throw pucks at the net’ and ‘It’s going to be a greasy goal that wins it’ — it wasn’t really, though, it was a nice play,” he said, shaking his head in approval.
“Winning doesn’t get old,” he exclaimed. “It’s such a good feeling. Like, I said, I haven’t had that feeling so long, and I’ve wanted it for so long. It feels so good to be back on top.”
The gravity of the moment wasn’t lost on him either. “In Canada, hockey is our sport; it’s do or die.”
However, despite all the success he’s had at both the international level and in the NHL, winning is something Doughty seems to be embracing differently now compared to earlier in his career.
“I’m sure a lot of that reason is because I haven’t won — I think it’s been like nine years or something like that,” he said in a rather reflective tone. “And I had a lot of other factors coming in, like me not making this team and all those types of things. So, I feel great right now.”
And his play throughout the tournament supports the fact that he wasn’t just there as a passenger, but actually one of Canada’s best players — including the highest net rating among their defensemen.
Top 25 skaters at the 4 Nations Face-Off pic.twitter.com/jzqHK170iY
— dom(@domluszczyszyn) February 21, 2025
Over the past two weeks, it was an ensemble cast of Canada’s greatest hockey players. They came from all around the NHL, many had never played together either. According to Doughty, his squad forged together rather quickly.
“We wanted to win for Canada, win for each other, and that’s what we did,” he stated. “No one had really played for Team Canada in so long, though. It’s crazy. When I walked in here [last Monday for the first practice], I knew guys, but I didn’t like really know the guys – unless it was like Sid or Marchand, because we didn’t play for Team Canada for so damn long. It was a different dynamic, but [it came together] instantly, it’s crazy. We all hate each other with our teams, like Marchy asks me to fight every time we play then. It’s crazy how much it just turns into a quick brotherhood. It’s honestly wild. And it was instant, right off the first night, everyone sitting at tables talking for hours and hours. We continued that throughout the whole tournament.”
With Doughty expected to play for the Kings on Saturday night in Los Angeles, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for things to return to normal. After all, a huge Pacific Division battle takes place Monday night at Crypto.com Arena when the Golden Knights come to town with Mark Stone.
“I’m still gonna play him hard, don’t get me wrong” Doughty said rather emphatically. “We’re right back to business! When we get back, everything will go back to how it always is.”
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