Drouin and MacKinnon still have strong bond
Former QMJHL linemates shared some ‘pretty cool’ experiences with Mooseheads
There’s a funny video on YouTube from April 2013 of Nathan MacKinnon driving Halifax Mooseheads teammate Jonathan Drouin to practice during the Memorial Cup with both wearing full equipment, minus the skates.
“I don’t know what I’d do without Nathan,” Drouin says about his QMJHL linemate and personal chauffeur, who would drive him to team practices and school each morning.
The video was shot less than five years ago, but it must seem like a lifetime ago for the 22-year-olds who squared off Tuesday at the Bell Centre, with Drouin playing for the Canadiens and MacKinnon for the Colorado Avalanche.
“It was a fun thing,” Drouin said. “Looking back at the video, I can laugh at a lot of the stuff that was said. Those years in Halifax were pretty cool.”
Drouin and MacKinnon were Mooseheads teammates for two years, and during their final season together, 2012-13, they helped Halifax win the President’s Cup as QMJHL champions and the Memorial Cup as CHL champions. During the regular season they combined for 180 points, with Drouin posting 41 goals and 64 assists, while MacKinnon had 32 goals and 43 helpers. What made them click? “His speed and my vision … the way I move the puck and try and make plays,” Drouin said Tuesday. “He uses his speed to his advantage. He doesn’t need that much (of a) gap. Even if the defenceman was standing right beside him, there’s a good chance he would blow by him in junior. You still see it in the NHL once in a while when you watch TV. He’s got that speed to blow by you without even making a move. He’s such a powerful guy.”
MacKinnon is having a fantastic season, heading into Tuesday’s game with 59 points to rank second in the NHL. Things haven’t gone so well for Drouin, who had 22 points and a minus-21 rating while learning to play centre in the NHL after the Canadiens acquired him from the Lightning.
Fans can only wonder what kind of season Drouin — and the Canadiens — might have had if he had a No. 1 centre similar to MacKinnon instead of trying to learn that position himself.
Is there anything Drouin can learn about playing centre from watching his old friend in action?
“It’s hard to copy Nate,” Drouin said. “He’s such a powerful skater.”
The Avalanche selected MacKinnon with the No. 1 overall pick at the 2013 NHL draft and the Lightning took Drouin with the No. 3 pick.
“We talked yesterday,” Drouin said. “... With his season and my season going on, we just try to keep it kind of low-key. Once in a while I get updates on what’s going on on his side.
“Their team is doing well, he’s doing well,” Drouin added.