EDMONTON - The long-awaited NHL debut of Jonathan Drouin for the Tampa Bay Lightning is now a reality.
Despite reports earlier in the day that he would be a healthy scratch against the Oilers in Edmonton on Monday, Drouin was inserted into the lineup after Alex Killorn suffered an injury in the morning skate.
Drouin was the third pick at the 2013 NHL Draft and was recalled from a two-game conditioning stint with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, where he scored a goal and had two assists.
The 19-year-old was held pointless and was minus-1 in his team's 3-2 loss to the Oilers, but still impressed Tampa coach Jon Cooper.
"He comes as advertised," said Cooper. "When he plays with speed, I thought he controlled the game when he had it on his stick. For a first outing, I thought it was really good. With all of the pressure he had on him, it was a pretty darn good effort."
Drouin wished his debut had come in a win, but was glad to get into his first NHL game.
"I felt pretty good about my game," he said. "The first one, you are going to have some nerves and not quite know what to expect. It was exciting. It only happens once. I just wish we had a better outcome.
"I made some plays with the puck and created a couple of things. It was a good first game for me, but I still have a lot of work to do."
Lightning goalie Ben Bishop has already made his mind up on the young prospect.
"I thought he played very well," he said. "You can tell he is going to be a top player in this league."
The Quebec native recorded 29 goals and 108 points in 46 games with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season.
Drouin wore jersey No. 27 for the game against the Oilers.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.