LAK.com feature: Influencers

Several variables came together to produce a feature this week on Drew Doughty and the players that influenced him when he was a teenager. The Kings return to the Prudential Center for tonight’s game, the same arena that Doughty had his electrifying goal off a rush in Game 2 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. After that game, I asked him about whether there particular hockey highlights that had stuck with him when he was younger, and he responded by referencing Scott Niedermayer’s end-to-end rush against Detroit in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final.

Niedermayer, whose jersey hangs in the rafters at the Prudential Center, was inducted to the Hall of Fame earlier this week. Though Doughty was heavily influenced by the poised, fluid skating defenseman, there’s another player who had a profound influence on his development.

“I liked Rob Blake growing up,” Doughty said, “He was my favorite defenseman, being a Kings fan.”

“He definitely had an influence on me. That hip check he always threw when he was playing, I’ve learned to do that over the years. I definitely saw him do it first when I was a kid. He was a great influence on my career and was my favorite defenseman growing up. It’s kind of cool he’s part of the organization with us now.”

LAKings.com: Influencers

Other Insider LAKings.com features:
Another Go
Dining Out with Willie Mitchell
Kings of CHLA
West is Best
Their Words
Numbers Aside
Follow Me
Talk About It
Padded Down
Little Time for Rest
Make Them Better
Comfort Level
Getting There
Will to Win
Buying In
Fine Tuning
Battle Tested
Smooth and Selke
Up, Up and Away
In Their Eyes
Work in Progress
Committed
Scuderi’s Actions Speak
Brown’s Model a Path for Doughty