Top prospect Drouin dominates QMJHL awards

Wednesday, 04.03.2013 / 11:37 PM

By Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer / 2013 NHL Draft blog

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2013 NHL Draft blog
Top prospect Drouin dominates QMJHL awards

Halifax Mooseheads wing and top 2013 NHL Draft prospect Jonathan Drouin was named most valuable player, top pro prospect, personality of the year, and a first-team all-star Wednesday during the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Golden Puck Awards ceremony in Montreal.

Drouin had 41 goals, 105 points and a plus-48 rating in 49 contests for the Mooseheads in 2012-13.

In two seasons, he's produced 48 goals, 134 points and a plus-43 rating in 82 games. The 5-foot-10.75, 185-pound player had a 29-game point streak from Nov. 30, 2012, to March 15, 2013, collecting 26 goals and 65 points over that span.

He's produced two goals, 10 points and a plus-6 rating in four playoff games.

Drouin was ranked No. 3 in NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of the top North American players eligible for the draft, to be held June 30 at Prudential Central in Newark, N.J.

"We're excited and happy for him," Halifax general manager Cam Russell told The (Halifax) Chronicle Herald. "It's been a dream season for him, making the World Junior team [for Canada] and coming that close to winning the scoring race in just 49 games. The nice thing is that you know even though he's won these awards, he just wants to win the big one. He wants a championship more than anything."

Drouin finished five points behind the league's leading scorer, P.E.I. Rocket forward Ben Duffy, who played 19 more games.

Drouin played a big role for Canada in the 2013 World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia, in January.

The 18-year-old not only made the team but earned some time on the country's top line alongside captain Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Mark Schiefele. He had one assist and a plus-1 rating filling in for Jonathan Huberdeau on the top line in Canada's 4-1 preliminary-round victory over Russia.

Drouin, who normally accompanies teammate and fellow top draft-ligible prospect Nathan MacKinnon on the top line in Halifax, finished the WJC with two goals, four points and a plus-4 rating in six games.

Baie-Comeau right wing Valentin Zykov was named the QMJHL's rookie of the year. Zykov, No. 8 on Central Scouting's midterm list, had 40 goals and 75 points in 67 games.

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