Young Londoner drafted by the team he always idolized

Posted 5 months ago

The enduring myth of the overnight success is as old as sport itself. Although a fortunate few have managed to thwart the odds, for most athletes – and more specifically young players trying to make the National Hockey League – the road to stardom is long and unusually arduous.

No one knows this better than London's own Drew Doughty, a defenceman who was second pick overall in the 2008 NHL draft and the newest member of the Los Angeles Kings organization.

Much has been written about Drew and his accomplishments of late. But his success didn’t just happen overnight and he’ll be the first one to tell you he has some help along the way.

Only coffee beans could be more grounded than Drew and he has his family to thank for that. Drew’s parents, Connie and Paul, two of the most self-effacing people you would ever want to meet, are at the forefront of this success story.

The NHL draft is often viewed as a celebration of sorts, not just the players but their families too – a reminder of all the sacrifices made along the way, the tournament travel, the hotel stays, the expenses.

When the Doughty’s are asked what went through their minds the moment Drew was selected as the second overall pick of the 2008 draft the overwhelming definitive answer was relief.

Says Connie: “I told myself I wouldn’t cry.” It seems she had done the crying years before the draft ever took place.

When Drew was just 15, he left his home in London to play with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.

“I just shut the door to his bedroom and didn’t open it for three weeks,” Connie admits.

His leaving at such a young age broke her heart, even though she knew it was exactly what Drew wanted.

After three weeks Connie finally got up the courage to enter Drew’s room. She noticed a teddy bear, the usual resting place of which was on a dresser in her room. There, laying at the head of Drew’s bed, the teddy bear held a message for Connie. It read, “I love you Mom.”

Drew knew his mom was making a most unselfish sacrifice. She was letting him go. His note spoke volumes.

But even before Drew left home for the far-away stadiums of junior hockey, there were the early morning drives to Nicholls Arena provided in part by Drew’s grandfather, Ed Liberato.

“I’m very proud,” Ed says. “When Drew was six years old he told me he was either going to be a soccer player or a hockey player. It’s a dream come true.”

In the end Drew left the soccer playing to his younger sister, Chelsea, co-captain and central defender of the 2007 under 15 Ontario Cup Champions and 2006 under 14 National Champions North London Flash.

Asked about her brother’s success Chelsea responds like a true sibling: “Pretty good I guess.”

Drew and Chelsea are like any other siblings so it came as no surprise to learn the two actually rehearsed the hug they would give each other at the NHL draft. Anyone with teenagers can totally relate to this visual.

One hug at the draft that wasn’t rehearsed was the one between Drew and his dad.

“Drew just grabbed his dad and held him longer and tighter than ever before while Drew let out a resounding ‘Yes!'” says Connie.

Paul, a tall, stoic type held it all in but anyone witnessing the event will tell you all of the Doughty’s were bursting inside with overwhelming pride, especially Paul. He rarely missed a Guelph Storm home game when Drew was playing.

Two other important members of this extended family are Alex and Nancy Campbell, the billets Drew lived with 10 months out of the year for three years in Guelph.

Asked if she was ever threatened by Drew’s relationship with the Campbell’s Connie gives an adamant, “No. The first day I dropped Drew off with the Campbell’s I said to myself he’s going to be okay.”

First impressions proved positive and the Doughty’s and Campbell’s remain good friends today. They too attended the NHL draft and travelled together and shared an apartment in Prague with the Doughty’s during the world junior championships.

Interestingly enough, the Campbells met at a Guelph Storm game, dated, married and with no children of their own became billet parents to the Storm’s players.

And what does Drew, now 18 (his birthday is in December), have to say about all of this success?

“I’ve always wanted to play for LA. Ever since I was a kid (Wayne) Gretzky was my favourite player.”

Drew got to meet his boyhood idol on the day of the draft in the washroom of Ottawa’s Scotiabank Place where the draft was held. And it was Wayne Gretzky who introduced himself to Drew.

“It was weird,” Drew says. “I was standing there and he just held out his hand and said, ‘Hey I’m Wayne’.”

While a host of Gretzky memorabilia once adorned the walls of Drew’s bedroom, not to mention an intact LA King’s Western Electric Trimline deskphone, circa 1990, still remaining, clearly no introduction was necessary. After all, it could be said Wayne is the Elvis of the hockey world.

At the start of this interview Connie said, “I’m not sure where to begin but I do have an ending. It’s a phrase I believe goes something like this: The road to success is always under construction.”

Drew has some roadwork to do to reach stardom in the NHL, but he’s made a good start.

Cathy Boyd is a London freelance writer. You can reach her at boydsoflondon@sympatico.ca.