Jonathan Drouin

Lore & Background

Drouin began his major junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL after being drafted second overall in the 2011 QMJHL entry draft. He joined the Mooseheads in December 2011 and quickly made an impact, recording two assists in his first game. He was a key contributor to Halifax's 2012 playoff run, scoring the overtime winner in Game 7 against the Quebec Remparts. In the 2012–13 season, Drouin was named CHL Player of the Year and helped the Mooseheads win the President's Cup and the Memorial Cup. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning third overall in the 2013 NHL entry draft and signed a three-year contract in July 2013, but was returned to the Mooseheads for the 2013–14 season after being cut from the Lightning roster.

Drouin made his NHL debut on October 20, 2014, and recorded his first assist the following day. He finished his rookie season with four goals and 28 assists in 70 games. During the 2015 playoffs, he made his Stanley Cup playoff debut on April 23, 2015, and the Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Finals, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. In the 2015–16 season, Drouin was reassigned to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch in January 2016 after being limited to 19 games due to injury. His agent stated that Drouin had requested a trade in November 2015, calling the situation 'untenable.' Drouin was suspended indefinitely without pay on January 20, 2016, for failing to report to a Crunch game. He returned to the Crunch on March 8 and was recalled by the Lightning on April 4. He recorded his first career playoff goal on April 30, 2016, and finished the 2016 playoffs with five goals and nine assists in 17 games. In the 2016–17 season, Drouin had a breakout year with 21 goals and 32 assists in 73 games, but the Lightning missed the playoffs by one point.

On June 15, 2017, Drouin was traded to the Montreal Canadiens along with a conditional 2018 sixth-round pick for prospect Mikhail Sergachev and a conditional 2018 second-round pick. He signed a six-year, $33 million contract with the Canadiens. In the 2018–19 season, he matched his career-high 53 points (18 goals, 35 assists) in 81 games. He underwent surgery for a nose fracture on May 1, 2019, causing him to withdraw from the 2019 World Championship. In the 2019–20 season, Drouin scored his first goal of the season on October 5, 2019, and later missed 37 games after injuring his wrist on November 15, 2019, returning on February 8, 2020.

Reader's Guide

Jonathan Drouin's career is marked by early promise as a top draft pick and a standout junior career, including CHL Player of the Year honors and a Memorial Cup victory with the Halifax Mooseheads. His NHL journey began with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he debuted in 2014 and reached the Stanley Cup Finals as a rookie. However, his time in Tampa was also defined by a public trade request and a suspension in the 2015–16 season, reflecting a contentious period between player and organization. Despite these challenges, Drouin rebounded to post a breakout season in 2016–17 and was subsequently traded to the Montreal Canadiens in a high-profile deal. With Montreal, he signed a long-term contract and matched his career-high point total in 2018–19, though his tenure was interrupted by injuries, including a wrist injury that cost him 37 games in the 2019–20 season. Drouin later played for the Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders before joining the St. Louis Blues. As of the notes, he is an unrestricted free agent. His career illustrates the volatility of high draft picks, combining elite junior achievements with NHL production that has fluctuated due to injuries and organizational friction.

Did You Know?

• Drouin scored the overtime winning goal in Game 7 against the Quebec Remparts during the 2012 QMJHL playoffs.
• He was named CHL Player of the Year at the conclusion of the 2012–13 season.
• He became the fourth Tampa Bay Lightning player whose first NHL playoff goal was a game-winning goal.