Drew Doughty 'hungry' for USA-Canada rivalry at 4 Nations Face-Off

35-year-old Drew Doughty was the last man chosen to play for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, when Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo withdrew due to injury concerns. Doughty's experience and competitive edge made him the clear choice as a replacement.

A pre-season injury put his availability for the tournament in doubt, but he worked his way back to fitness and debuted in the NHL this season on January 29. Doughty was asked about the Canada-USA rivalry during his media availability on Friday. Sportsnet NHL writer Luke Fox shared the Los Angeles Kings player's response on X.

"The wait has just amplified it, made you more hungry," Doughty said. "And I know that the Americans are feeling the same way about playing us. So, it's going to be a hard-fought game. I suggest everyone watches."

Drew Doughty knows what the rivalry between Canada and the US means to both nations. He was a part of Team Canada's Olympic gold-winning teams in 2010, and 2014, as well as the World Cup of Hockey winning team in 2016.

Drew Doughty will play a big role in Shea Theodore's absence

Drew Doughty played close to 19 minutes during Canada's tournament-opening 4-3 overtime win over Sweden. He'll be expected to play a bigger role against the Americans.

Shea Theodore was officially ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with an upper-body injury, which means the rest of the Canadian defensemen have to step up. Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim enters the lineup in place of Theodore and will be playing with Drew Doughty on the bottom pairing.

Doughty has been a workhorse his whole career, averaging 26:13 minutes of total ice time per night through his 17 NHL seasons. After breaking his ankle in the pre-season, he's jumped into action in the middle of the year and played a whopping 26:57 minutes per game.

More ice time and responsibility is certainly something Doughty can handle. In the matchup everyone has waited for, Team Canada will battle against their rivals, Team USA on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST.