The Canadiens announced in late April that Drouin will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team due to personal issues. Teammates, particularly Phillip Danault, a French-speaking player from Quebec, had spoken up about what was bothering Drouin and how severe the situation was, citing bullying and mental health difficulties as examples.
Drouin's mental health was clearly in need of a break from all of the burden that had been placed on his shoulders. Drouin hasn't played since a game against the Edmonton Oilers on April 21st. He was seen conversing with team trainers during warm-ups for the next game and did not return to compete. Since then, he has missed Montreal's previous three games due to a "non-COVID ailment." He had spent the entire day alone in his hotel room... Drouin has two goals and 21 assists in 44 games this season.
Last night's game had fans hoping to see him celebrate with teammates on the ice, but Drouin stayed away from the team to work on his rehabilitation. We're concerned, and we hope he feels better soon. We're curious if we'll see more of him now that the Canadiens have a chance to win their first Stanley Cup since 1993.
