By Steve Fitzsimmons, Hockey Now

NHL Entry Draft prospects looking for inspiration on making an early impact in the NHL need look no further than the career of Drew Doughty.

For the L.A. Kings sophomore defenceman, success has come very quickly.

It was only two seasons ago that he was the second overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. There were questions at the time about whether Doughty would return to the Guelph Storm in the OHL for a fourth season, or whether he would make the jump to play for the Kings.

He put those questions to rest in a hurry.

In only two seasons, Doughty has become one of the top defencemen in the game, including earning himself a nomination for the Norris Trophy this season.

He had an impressive campaign, one that saw him register 16 goals and 59 points in 82 games and play a key shutdown role against other teams’ best players.

He also was a huge contributor in helping Canada win the Olympic gold medal in Vancouver.

Doughty says he has surprised himself with how much he’s been able to achieve in his young career.

“It’s come so fast and it’s been a little overwhelming over this journey, but I’m really excited,” he said. “I’m really pleased that I got drafted by the L.A. Kings. If I had gone to another team, I might not have made it my first season. I probably wouldn’t have made that Olympic team and probably wouldn’t have been enjoying the opportunities that I’ve been getting. It’s been great for me, I’ve been pretty lucky and hopefully it continues.”

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