Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty blew the internet up last year when he hinted that he had some interest in playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Well.... that was a lie. In town for Monday's game between the Kings and Leafs, Doughty stated he simply used the media to swing a better deal with the Kings. "I was an L.A. Kings fan since I was a little kid, and I've always wanted to be here. I wanted to show my loyalty to the club and try to stay here forever," Doughty told reporters, per Sportsnet. "I kind of always knew I was going to stay here, but I just said that (Leafs) stuff in the media just to kind of make sure (the Kings) didn't try to screw me."
It's not the first time it's happened and it won't be the last as plenty of free agents have used soft negotiations with major markets like Toronto and Montreal to get bigger deals with American teams.
