Doughty in good company

Drew Doughty is obviously well regarded among Kings fans, and his popularity ratings are pretty high here in Canada as well. His legacy will only grow if he wins an Olympic gold medal with Canada next month. A local reporter, doing a feature on Doughty, asked Terry Murray if, in his years, he had seen a young player make an impact like Doughty.

MURRAY: “I’ve been around for a long time, so the answer to that is, yes, I have. But in most recent years, not too many young guys have come along and played as well, and with as much composure, as Drew Doughty.”

To follow up, Murray was asked which players he would put in that category he described…

MURRAY: “Ray Bourque was in the league, as an 18-year-old, and was a force with the Boston Bruins right from that first year. I watched him throughout his career. I watched Paul Coffey throughout his career. I had Paul Coffey as a player in Philadelphia. I could go back, as a young player myself, and remember Bobby Orr coming into the league. Nobody will ever be as great as him, but he’s a young guy who came into the league at a young age and dominated the league.

“So there have been those kinds of players. I had Scott Stevens as an 18-year-old in Washington, who came in and had an impact on your game immediately. Those are pretty special players that are being referenced there. Drew is in that category. He means that much to the L.A. Kings.”