Fear of fame: Doughty would love to play in Toronto, if he wasn’t recognized
Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty outed himself as a “secret” fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, but one who would probably never play for the team because he doesn’t think he could handle the celebrity that would come with being a hockey star in this city.
“I’m happy the Leafs are doing what they’re doing,” Doughty said on Leafs Lunch on TSN 1050.
“I think all of us southern Ontario players, we secretly want to play for the Leafs.
“Honestly, I hated the Leafs when I was a kid. I always cheered against them. I was on my dad’s team, he was a Montreal Canadiens fan. But I watched every Leafs game. So, secretly, I loved the Leafs.”
Doughty, from London, Ont., opened the door to the line of questioning while praising Leafs coach Mike Babcock, who coached Dough- ty on Canada’s Olympic and World Cup teams.
“He’s great,” Doughty said. “He’s a detailed coach that expects the most out of his players . . . a very smart hockey mind. He’s great for the Leafs.”
Doughty is a free agent at the end of the 2018-19 season, and doubted he would ever play for the Maple Leafs, restating the oft-heard sentiment that the pressure with being a Maple Leaf is too great for some players.
“We all want to play here, especially with the team getting better, but it always comes down to how hard it would be to live in a city and being that big of a celebrity,” Doughty said. “I’m spoiled in L.A., where I can walk anywhere I want and not one person is going to recognize me.
“If for some reason I would play for the Leafs, I don’t know if I could get used to that or not.
“I think that’s the problem why guys don’t sign here.”