SUNRISE, Fla. — Defenseman Drew Doughty has been cleared from injured reserve by the Los Angeles Kings and is set to make his season debut against the Florida Panthers.

Doughty has been sidelined for the first 47 games of the season due to a broken ankle he sustained during a preseason match. He is slated to rejoin the Kings’ lineup as they take on the reigning Stanley Cup champions on Wednesday night.

At 35 years old, Doughty enters his 17th season in the NHL as one of the premier defensemen of his era. He has been nominated for the Norris Trophy four times and won it in 2016. Additionally, he is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings, who selected him second overall in the 2008 draft.

The injury occurred during a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights on September 25, reigniting discussions regarding the excessively long NHL preseason. Initially, the Kings anticipated that Doughty would be out for a significant portion of the regular season following surgery on his injury, but he made a promising return to practice last week, donning a non-contact jersey.

Doughty’s performance was still at an elite level last season, where he amassed 15 goals and 35 assists. He ranked second in the NHL for ice time, averaging nearly 26 minutes per game. Over his career, he has notched 156 goals and 513 assists across 1,177 regular-season games, along with 57 points in 95 postseason appearances.

Kings coach Jim Hiller has confirmed that Doughty will partner with Jacob Moverare for his return to the ice.

Heading into the matchup with the Panthers, the Kings hold a record of 26 wins, 15 losses, and 6 overtime losses. They have dropped their last two games and six out of eight but still maintain a position in third place in the Pacific Division. Brandt Clarke has stepped up as the leading defenseman in Doughty’s absence, achieving a career-high 24 points in his first full NHL season.

To accommodate Doughty’s return, the Kings have reassigned forward Samuel Helenius to their AHL affiliate in Ontario.