SAN JOSE – Jonathan Drouin became one of Nathan MacKinnon’s close friends and his carpool buddy while they spent two years as teenagers tearing apart the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads.
When Drouin signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche this offseason, expecting a reunion between the two seemed obvious. Avs coach Jared Bednar made it clear though at the start of training camp that a spot next to MacKinnon on the club’s top line must be earned, regardless of what highlight-reel goals those two created a decade ago.
Drouin earned his chance to play next to MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen in the team’s season-opening 5-2 win Wednesday night in Los Angeles with a strong, consistent camp.