I have bad news for any hockey fans in the northeast who bought AHL tickets the past few days in order to see forward Jonathan Drouin play in games in the next few days – not happening. He’s leaving immediately to join the Tampa Bay Lightning on their road swing through western Canada. The team just announced that Drouin, along with defenseman Luke Witkowski, were recalled from Syracuse.
Between Friday and Saturday, Drouin scored 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) as the Crunch ran through the weekend with a pair of wins. Drouin was also credited as the first star in the Crunch’s 3-2 win on Friday against the Springfield Falcons. His single goal of the weekend was the game winner that night.
Witkowski beefs up a defense that has taken some hits the past few days; Radko Gudas has become iffy with a lower-body injury, while Victor Hedman suffered an upper body injury last night in Vancouver and is out for the remainder of the Lightning’s road trip.
It’s likely Drouin will make his NHL debut tomorrow night in Edmonton.
