Junior hockey teammates Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon are set to reunite, as Drouin has signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche, the club announced Saturday.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but ESPN reports the contract is worth $825,000.
Drouin and MacKinnon spent two years together with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, before the 2013 NHL Draft saw Drouin go to the Tampa Bay Lightning third-overall and MacKinnon tabbed by the Avs with the first-overall pick. That year also saw the pair win a QMJHL title and Memorial Cup together, with Drouin named league MVP for the campaign
A 2017 trade sent Drouin to the Montreal Canadiens, where he's played the past six seasons, amassing 186 points through 321 games. In total, the 28-year-old has collected 281 points in 285 NHL appearances.
The talented winger has endured a tumultuous past few seasons in Montreal, taking some much-needed time away from the game and then battling through injury issues upon returning. After spending time as a healthy scratch under Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis, it seemed a change of scenery may be the best path forward for Drouin once his contract with the team concluded.
Now, he'll begin a new chapter with former teammate MacKinnon, for an Avalanche team looking to return to the championship heights it reached in 2022.
col
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.