TAMPA, Fla. — While rolling the question over in his head, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty took a few beats to look around.
What he saw was the NHL’s best players sitting in a humid tent, crammed with reporters and team staffers and television cameras, 8 miles west of downtown Tampa in a waterside suburb. Every 10 minutes or so, a plane flew either in or out of nearby Tampa International Airport and filled the tight space with a vibrating hum. The only ice around was used for chilling water bottles to keep players’ mouths from going dry during interviews that touched on the first half of the season, Super Bowl predictions and how to dress like a pirate.