You won't believe what Avalanche forward Brock Nelson told Jonathan Drouin in a private offseason conversation
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett / Eyes On Isles
After leaving Colorado to sign with the New York Islanders, Jonathan Drouin wanted to wear the number 29, so he reached out to Avalanche forward Brock Nelson for permission to use his old jersey number.
Drouin got Nelson's permission and will be wearing number 29 next season in Long Island.
Jonathan Drouin sports new number with Brock Nelson's blessing.
John Flanigan of SNY.tv reported on the phone call Drouin made to his former teammate and longtime New York Islander.
"Drouin didn't initially seek out that number specifically, but with the options very limited, he reached out to make sure it was alright with Nelson, who he was teammates with down the stretch in Colorado." -Flanigan
Drouin explained why he felt it was important to speak with Nelson before changing his jersey number.
"When you've spent over 10 years in one place, the fanbase obviously accepts you, they love you," he said. "He was one of the leaders of this team, I just wanted to make sure it was okay with him and kind of get his approval." -Flanigan
Drouin is expected to be a key contributor for the Islanders, skating on the top line alongside Bo Horvat and Maxim Shabanov.
He will be relied upon to shoulder much of the team's offensive load, a responsibility he didn't carry as heavily in Colorado.
Horvat is looking forward to playing alongside him this season.
«Drouin is fun to play with. He's got so much skill and so much creativity, him and I are going to get along well -- we're already familiar with each other, so we just have to have bring that chemistry back out on the ice." -Horvat
And here's what Drouin had to say about Horvat's style of play.
"He's very smart. Especially in that bumper spot, he's one of the top guys in the league -- I can name five or six, and he's part of that group, just get it to his stick in the slot, and it's probably going in the net." -Drouin
It's refreshing to see the respect Drouin shows Nelson, and equally intriguing to watch him step into a leading role on a new team.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 5 | 21 ANSWERS You won't believe what Avalanche forward Brock Nelson told Jonathan Drouin in a private offseason conversation Will Jonathan Drouin score more than 70 points for the New York Islanders this season? | ||
| yes | 4 | 19 % |
| no | 17 | 81 % |
| List of polls | ||
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