Kings in China

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Kings played earlier today in China, which was different for sure. Kempe scored the first NHL goal in that country.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/kings-kempe-scores-amazing-long-115634517.html

Kings, Canucks embracing opportunity to break the ice in China

Doughty ready to bring hockey to China

Always the best when Doughty is candid about Vancouver:

"Doughty: Yes. We have watched the tape together. The Canucks are very familiar to us. We play against each other every year, and we know everything about them. They are one of the greatest teams to play against in the league. This is going to be a great game. Both teams will do our best."

He used to always say that he hated them, and he loved playing them because he hated everything about that team.

Here it is (2013): Pure Gold to me:

Why Doughty, Kopitar dislike the Canucks - Sportsnet.ca

Asked by Los Angeles Kings blog Mayor’s Manor last March to rate his hatred for the Vancouver Canucks on a scale of 1 to 10, defenceman Drew Doughty gave the Presidents’ Trophy winners a perfect score.

“The Canucks are definitely a 10,” Doughty told the site. “We hate every single guy on that team. But, that’s always what’s fun about hockey. When you hate a team so much you want to win so bad.”

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I think you have to look at few things as well regarding Doughty - that 2013 team made it to the WCF against the Hawks and gimped in, with injuries and simply running out of gas but they were still a legitimate Cup contender. The Kings were cocky themselves and had every right to be (as 2014 would also prove).

Vancouver won their division that season with the same number of points as LA (59, Kings had 1 more loss and 1 less OTW/SOW) and they were still good too with the Sedins, even that clown Burrows somehow managed to put up 24 points in a shortened season. Plus the Kings had played them 2 or 3 times the prior few years in the POs so the hate level had definitely built up.

Fast forward to now and I think Doughty is a more mature player and says and does the right things as a recognized leader on this team but he also has to tow the NHL line. He is a star in this league and a face of the NHL, he has to promote the game to countries like China who aren't overly familiar with it.