SAN JOSE — Jonathan Drouin was about to play in the biggest tournament of his young life, so there was one number he definitely wanted to wear.
Drouin called his coach ahead of the Brick Invitational, one of the marquee youth hockey tournaments in Canada, to request No. 99. Turns out that one was already spoken for.
“The coach told me that ‘Dukes’ had already called him and asked for it,” Drouin said. “We both always wanted that number and we’d fight over it. I ended up wearing No. 87. It was such a super fun experience at that age.”
“Dukes” is Anthony Duclair, who became one of Drouin’s best friends and a future teammate on multiple youth teams in the Montreal area. They’ve remained close, and skate together in the offseason.
Drouin and Duclair, who was traded to the Sharks over the summer, faced each other Saturday night at SAP Center. They are both in a contract year and facing potentially profitable, but also very different, situations.
After playing together at The Brick in Edmonton as 9-year-olds, Drouin and Duclair spent the next several years playing against each other in the winters and then teaming up on a summer hockey club.
“Probably had the best hands I’ve ever seen at such a young age — still does,” Duclair said. “His skill level and IQ was off the charts, especially at that age. It was the crazy, the dangles he would pull off.”
Not only did they become close, but their fathers became friends, too. It’s two friendships that have connected their families as the two phenoms made their journeys to the NHL. Drouin and Duclair played together for the Lac St-Louis Lions, a premier AAA youth program on the West Island in Montreal, for a season before they joined QMJHL rivals.
“He was electric,” Drouin said of Duclair. “He had the same speed to burn that he has now. His crossovers and his skating were tough for those d-men. It was pretty scary growing up, how fast he was, how strong he was. I’m so happy for him that he’s been able to translate that to the NHL and play a lot of years and have success.”
Drouin teamed up with Nathan MacKinnon to make magic for the Halifax Mooseheads. They won the Memorial Cup together in 2013, but their legend began the year before when they led the Mooseheads to a stunning comeback from down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series against Patrick Roy’s Quebec Ramparts.
That was also Duclair’s Ramparts.
“We’re pretty close friends, so I try not to bring it up too much,” Drouin said. “That first summer was the time for a little chirping, but that’s a bad feeling for him. They had a really good team. I’m sure it was heartbreaking for them.”
Duclair was a third-round pick in the same draft class as Drouin, but he’s carved out a successful career as a speedy middle-six wing and netted a career-high 31 goals in 2021-22. He’s also watched his buddy deal with incredible highs and lows while trying to be a hometown hero for the Montreal Canadiens.
“We probably talked a million times about how cool it would be to play in the NHL and to play for the Canadiens. I know him going there was a dream come true,” Duclair said. “From afar, I just wanted to support him as much as I could. There were some things that maybe people didn’t realize or didn’t understand with what he was going through. I think for the most part he handled it the best he could.
“Obviously it didn’t go his way, but I know it was still a special feeling for him to put that jersey on. He accomplished one of our childhood dreams, which is pretty cool.”
Duclair went from a Stanley Cup finalist with Florida to a team expected to compete for the No. 1 pick in the draft in San Jose, but he’s also likely to get plenty of opportunities to produce and potentially improve his next contract. The second part of that is similar to Drouin — playing well for the Avs could absolutely lead to a better contract this coming summer.
He just went in the opposite direction, from a team near the bottom of the standings to one that expects to win the Stanley Cup.
“I just know that he loves the game, he’s got a lot of passion for the game and he works extremely hard in the summers,” Duclair said. “He wants to do everything he can to be the best player he can be. I think as a friend or a teammate, that’s what you want.
“It’s a great opportunity for him to be back playing with Nate and playing for a contender. It’s a different kind of pressure, because he’s not the hometown kid and doesn’t have to carry all that weight on his shoulders. I’m sure he’s going to have a great year, rack up a ton of points, and it’s going to revive his career as well. You’re going to see what he’s all about, and that skill level and confidence is going to come back. It’s kind of a lock to me. Just pencil that line in as one of the best lines in the league.”
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