By Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times

It seemed like an innocuous answer to a light-hearted question.

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, asked by a Fox Sports West’s Patrick O’Neal to share his New Year’s resolution, replied, “Stop eating at McDonald’s.” Doughty laughed and added, “Not going to happen.”

That comment was aired during the Kings’ game Saturday. Coupled with Doughty’s re-take of a training-camp fitness test, a past that includes weight problems and maybe some frustration over the team's three-game losing streak, it seems to have inspired new attacks on Doughty’s supposed lack of fitness on fan message boards and other social media outlets.

A couple of things:

First, Doughty said he recently had gotten an endorsement deal with McDonald’s Canada, so the mention of eating at the fast-food chain likely was his way of providing free advertising and not a confession of his menu choices.

And just think about it:

Could an out-of-shape defenseman have played a game-high 28 minutes and 59 seconds as Doughty did in the Kings’ 1-0 loss to San Jose on Saturday and average 25:39 this season, the seventh-highest average in the NHL?

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