Jonathan Drouin finally breaks his silence about his dark days in Montreal and explains exactly what happened
As we know, Jonathan Drouin's time with the Canadiens was anything but smooth.
Acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in June 2017 in exchange for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, the forward simply did not meet the expectations placed upon him.
But now he's in the uniform of the Colorado Avalanche, a team with which he signed a one-year contract over the summer, and he has reunited with his linemate from his junior ranks, a certain Nathan MacKinnon.
With this fresh start, Drouin confided to the ESPN network about a difficult episode during his stay in Montreal, and let's just say it's not the one we might have expected.
Here are his explanations:
«The two months in the bubble [in Toronto during the summer of 2020] really bored me. Without that bubble, could I have been okay and avoided stopping playing? I can't say, but during the COVID year in Montreal, we had rules to follow in Canada. We could not leave our house, except to walk with your dog. I had to walk my dog six times a day to get out of the house.»
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It should be said that before this famous bubble, Drouin had made a comeback after suffering a major injury in Washington in November 2019, which had considerably slowed him down.
The former Canadiens player also said that the pressure for a Quebecer playing in Montreal is something quite special.
«Unless you've experienced it... no one is ready for that.»
That said, he is not the first, nor the last Quebecer to play in Montreal, and he received full support from his agent.
Also met by the ESPN network, Allan Walsh reiterated his client's comments about the pressure of playing in Montreal.
"You want to understand that you are privileged to live under special circumstances. However, when life goes wrong, it gnaws at you every day. There's no way to get away from hockey outside the rink. In such a situation, players tend to retreat into their cocoon.
You order meals and you don't go to the supermarket. You don't walk in the street, you don't cross the park to breathe fresh air. You seem to avoid people and crowds. It becomes a life of isolation and it's not always the healthiest lifestyle."
Clearly a difficult period for him, and we can so understand.
Let's say that Walsh is not entirely wrong, and God knows that Drouin has been severely criticized by the team's fans, especially since the player traded for his services, Sergachev, is now one of the NHL's top defensemen.
Now that he's out of the Montreal market, Drouin will begin a new chapter of his career with the Colorado Avalanche and we wish him the best of luck!
Previously on HabsFanatics
| POLL |
15 OCTOBRE | 350 ANSWERS Jonathan Drouin finally breaks his silence about his dark days in Montreal and explains exactly what happened How many points will Jonathan Drouin score this season in Colorado? |
| Less than 30 | 135 | 38.6 % |
| Between 30 and 45 | 121 | 34.6 % |
| Between 45 and 60 | 66 | 18.9 % |
| More than 60 | 28 | 8 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
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