TERREBONNE — Jonathan Drouin met the media on Tuesday in conjunction with his fifth annual golf tournament benefiting the CHUM Foundation.
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Here are a few highlights from his press conference at Le Mirage golf club:
Lessons learned from Guy Lafleur on Drouin:
I’m dedicating the tournament to Guy this year. He was great to me and a real mentor. He was always calm and always took time out for people – men, women and children. He took the time to talk to them and spend time with them. What really stood out, though, was his calm demeanor with everyone.
Video: Drouin on his golf tournament benefiting the CHUM
Drouin on Lafleur’s passing in April:
It’s tough. It was even tougher when it happened because I spent some memorable times with him. I had good conversations with him, too. I never had the chance to see him play like my parents did, but I watched a lot of videos. The first photograph I got from my grandfather was an autographed picture of Guy Lafleur, so it was an emotional day when he died. It’s a real void. I think we’ll see that during dinner tonight, especially. Everybody would get up from their tables and go and talk to Guy. You saw just how important a person he really was.
On Drouin being involved with the CHUM, like Lafleur:
Seeing his work with the CHUM in recent years was great. He’d often say to me, ‘I would’ve loved to have done more at your age.’ Things are a lot easier now, though, when it comes to staging events like golf tournaments. There are a lot more things happening nowadays, but the way he told me that I was doing good things for the CHUM, for kids and the hospitals, it really warmed my heart.
Drouin on fatherhood:
Life is good. I’m in a really good place, especially with my son. I see things a little bit differently than I did before. To be able to wake up in the morning and see him makes me smile. It helps me start the day on a positive note.
Canadiens prospects with Drouin on training:
We’ve been skating with a lot of younger players over the last two weeks – Arber Xhekaj, Juraj Slafkovsky, Filip Mesar, and Kaiden Guhle. I also skated with Xavier Simoneau and William Trudeau all summer here. It’s fun to see the young faces who really love the game. They’re ready and hungry to practice. I think with the Draft we had and the youngsters in the organization, the Canadiens are heading in a very good direction.
Drouin on his impressions of his offseason:
It was a busy summer for me, especially with a baby. I used to leave the house and just go play golf, but I have a baby and a dog to take care of. That changes your plans a bit. But, they’re all good things. We’re really enjoying life, and we love taking care of our baby.
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