ST. PAUL, Minn. — Ask any of his teammates on the Colorado Avalanche about Jonathan Drouin, and a common theme develops: This guy loves hockey.
Well, that seems obvious, right? It’s a room full of professional hockey players.
But that’s the point: When they say Drouin loves hockey, they mean he loves hockey. His love for the sport stands out, even in a group of people who are among the best in the world at playing it.
That passion for the game, plus the journey Drouin has taken over the past several seasons, is why he is a nominee this season for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the Professional Hockey Writers Association announced Friday.
The award, which includes one nominee from each of the 32 NHL teams, is awarded annually to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
“Any time you get nominated for an award in the NHL, it is cool. To be nominated for an award like that is cool,” Drouin said. “We have a lot of guys here who work hard and dedicate themselves to hockey, and I do as well. It’s awesome.”
With his NHL career at a crossroads, Drouin was reunited with junior teammate and good friend Nathan MacKinnon this season. He had just completed a six-year contract with his hometown Montreal Canadiens. It was a dream to play for his boyhood club, but his time there did not go as planned.
He spent part of a season in the NHL-NHLPA Player Assistance Program after he struggled with mental health issues. There was a prolonged bout with a wrist injury, which hindered his ability to produce the world-class skill plays his career had been built on.
When it came time to find a new home, he chose the Avalanche on a one-year, $825,000 contract. It was clearly a chance for him to rebuild his value. He’s done that and more, becoming an integral contributor for one of the best teams in the league.
“It’s been better (than I imagined),” Drouin said. “Talking to Nate this summer and other guys, I knew I was coming to a hell of a hockey team with a lot of good people. It has exceeded my expectations of how we play hockey and how we are as a team, the people we have here. I think the one thing is this team is very dedicated — off-ice, on-ice, practices, all the details. It’s the same with the staff.”
Drouin got off to a slow start offensively with only one point in his first 10 games. There was one night spent as a healthy scratch. But eventually, his game took off.
He has 15 goals and 47 points in the 62 games since, making him an incredible bargain for the Avalanche and likely a hot commodity in July if Colorado can’t sign him to a new contract before that. More than the points, Drouin’s all-around play has been a revelation and he’s been a seamless fit in the locker room.
“He’s very dedicated. He brings it every day,” MacKinnon said. “He has a great attitude, a great work ethic. He’s always trying to get better and he loves the game. He’s always trying to learn and loves talking about it. It’s fun to be around guys like that. He definitely deserves that recognition, for sure.”
Drouin and MacKinnon were offensive wizards with the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. The biggest surprise this season has not been that those two have rekindled their incredible chemistry. It’s also not even that Drouin has proven he can play and produce with others as well.
It’s his work without the puck. Drouin did not have a reputation as a great two-way player. He’s become one with Colorado.
“He comes in here, and to me it’s his attitude and really working at his game, adding tools to his toolbox, especially when it comes to being a well-rounded player on the checking side of it,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “He’s become a real trusted guy for us. The image that he had, he’s been able to completely change that for me in a short period of time and do whatever it takes to be successful for a new coach, a new organization, new teammates. I think it is something that should be recognized.
“The importance he has put on the checking aspect of the game and being able to check the puck back and be rock solid defensively — that has allowed us to be able to play him up with those guys where he can really help on the offensive side of things. That well-rounded game, I don’t know how long he’s been working on it, but the improvements we’ve seen from the start of the year to now are remarkable, really.”
Drouin has gone from a low-risk gamble to an indispensable cog on a Stanley Cup contender. His joyful attitude has been infectious. His strong work ethic has made him a popular teammate in a room full of leaders who demand it.
And that love of hockey — watching it, talking about it, still trying to learn about it — is still a staple of Drouin’s life, even after what he’s been through.
“I kind of had to push it aside almost for a bit,” Drouin said. “It was hard to do, not watching hockey, not doing what I’m used to doing every night. I think I came back to that last year a little bit where it was hockey, hockey, hockey and now that I have a son it’s even more hockey, hockey. I’ve always loved the game I’ve played. That love of the game really came back last year and even more this year.
“I owe a lot of credit to the guys here, the staff, for helping me find that love and that passion again, but it also never really ever left, either.”
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