Jonathan Drouin makes a striking statement to Canadiens fans: He is ready

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David St-Jean
January 12, 2024 (2:53 PM)

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Jonathan Drouin and the Colorado Avalanche will be at the Bell Centre on Monday night. On this occasion, Jonathan had a lengthy discussion with Jean-Charles Lajoie on the airwaves of TVA Sports, and he had a lot to say.

"I expect some boos and some applause. Every player who comes back to Montreal gets some boos when they touch the puck, so I'm preparing a bit for that."

Given everything he has been through, I expect him to be warmly applauded by the fans on site, and honestly, the fans at the Bell Centre are capable of surprising us and being very supportive.

Jo is in the best streak of his career, with 14 points in his last 14 games. For him, playing under the guidance of Martin St-Louis has made a big difference in the player he is today.

"I loved my six seasons in Montreal. There were ups and downs; it was a great place for me. I think the last two years helped me develop my game today. I'm really looking forward to coming back and having dinner with some CH players, and my family will be attending the game. It's going to be special; you think it's a game like any other, but it's not. Since November, I've been looking at the date."

"It's hard to pinpoint just one thing (to explain why he didn't perform at his best in Montreal), but there was a moment when I was afraid of making mistakes. I wasn't comfortable with my game, and I was thinking about too many things.

In my first game, I thought I was ready, but that wasn't the case. It took me years to understand [the pressure]. But I believe that in the last two years, Martin St-Louis has helped me a lot with all that, just playing hockey and not worrying about what people thought of me. The fans have been extraordinary with me despite everything."

Jonathan Drouin via TVA Sports

The pressure of playing in Montreal, especially for a Quebec-born player, is often discussed. Nevertheless, he has very fond memories of his time with the Canadiens, and he also admits that he still watches Martin St-Louis' press conferences. According to him, nobody explains the game like St-Louis does.