The Kings will be well-represented at February’s Winter Olympics in Milan, with five players headed to skate for their countries at the ultimate best-on-best tournament in hockey.
Given the non-participation of NHL players in the past two Olympic Games, first-time selections reigned across all 12 participating countries, four of which will feature at least one King.
Drew Doughty, defenseman, Canada
There are exceptions to the first-timer trend, however, as Doughty will be gunning for his third taste of Olympic gold with Canada after ascending the medal stand in 2010 (Vancouver) and 2014 (Sochi). He and Sidney Crosby, who scored the golden goal on home soil against Team USA in 2010, are the only Canadians with prior Olympic experience.
Doughty was a late addition to the 4 Nations Face-Off roster last year coming off a broken ankle, but performed solidly and won gold there. This season, he’s been healthier but his production and all-around play haven’t screamed “Olympian.” Still, much like Colombian footballer James Rodríguez transforms when wearing the tricolor, Doughty seems to draw superpowers from the maple leaf gracing his torso.
Darcy Kuemper, goalie, Canada
Kuemper, 35, wasn’t on the earliest roster projections for this team. Two years ago, he had lost his net in Washington and was traded to the Kings in a roll-of-the-dice deal for disgraced center Pierre-Luc Dubois, which ultimately benefitted both teams immensely.
In California, he has resuscitated his career, earning his first Vezina Trophy nomination last year and continuing his phenomenal play when healthy this season. The 2022 Stanley Cup champ and Saskatoon native will compete with 4 Nations returner Jordan Binnington and the Capitals’ current goalie, Logan Thompson, for the net in Italy.
Joel Armia, forward, Finland
While the Leijonat have had greater success developing offensive stars in recent years, Armia represents more the classic archetype of a Finn up front: industrious, heavy and tenacious. His energy and penalty-kill skills – Armia leads the NHL with four shorthanded goals – have been boosts to the Kings after signing him this offseason.
He’ll join a Finnish side that has not only had tremendous success at the junior level, but shown well at the Olympics. In five prior competitions involving NHL players, they have medaled four times, including silver in 2006’s Turin Games.
Adrian Kempe, forward, Sweden
Kempe was actually among the six Swedes selected well before the year-end deadline for final roster submissions. There was little suspense even before that, given that the Swedish brass have consistently gushed about the depth and breadth of Kempe’s game. The Kings concurred, having signed him to a hefty, max-term contract extension during this season.
Capable of playing all situations and all five positions on the ice if needed, Kempe has gone beyond his formidable physical attributes to become a leader that brings swagger and a confrontational attitude to the ice.
Kevin Fiala, forward, Switzerland
Fiala was named to the preliminary group of six players for the Swiss, who have joined Germany and, to a lesser extent, Norway as rising powers that threaten the old “Big Seven” order. The absence of Russian participation in these games due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine should also open up the field.
Fiala, a dynamic winger with skill and lower-body strength to spare, and the Swiss have had tremendous success at the World Championships. Their first two silver medals came nearly 80 years apart, in 1935 and 2013. But they’ve since captured silver three more times, including the past two years, with Fiala on board for each effort.