Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has adjusted his behaviour this season with young fans in mind

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty is certainly not shy when it comes to speaking his mind - especially when the subject matter is something he dislikes.

This season, however, Doughty has been much more tongue-in-cheek, keeping himself in check, rather than just going off, as he has been known to do in the past, and according to Doughty himself, his lack of outbursts this season is quite deliberate.

"I worked on it," Doughty told The Athletic's Lisa Dillman on Saturday, "I knew I needed to stop doing it. I knew it was going to hurt me in the long run, made me look bad. It wasn't something that I want young kids to look up to. I was embarrassed by it. It's definitely something I've been fixing."

So far, Doughty choosing to let his play do the talking has worked out quite well for the 31-year-old, amassing 25 points in 29 games for the Kings this season, which has undoubtedly benefitted from a bit of a youth movement of late.

Despite cleaning up his act when it comes to being overtly outspoken, Doughty has not lost his edge, which has undoubtedly fuelled his recent resurgence, returning to form as one of the league's elite defensemen.

"I haven't lost my competitive spirit. There were times in the last couple of seasons where I was like, 'Man, I'm not mentally passionate enough,'" Doughty said of his level of engagement.

Perhaps Doughty is ramping up efforts in anticipation of Hockey Canada selecting its 2022 Olympic roster later this year. He may have been a shoo-in anyhow, but the fact that Doughty currently sits 2nd among all Canadian defensemen in scoring certainly won't hurt his case either.

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