Tampa Bay Lightning Suspend Jonathan Drouin After He Refuses To Play

Less than a month after demanding a trade away from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jonathan Drouin has chosen the nuclear option. After he refused to play in an AHL game on Wednesday night, he was suspended indefinitely by the team.

“Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin has been suspended indefinitely without pay by the team after his failure to report for tonight’s game between the Syracuse Crunch and the Toronto Marlies, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced this evening. The team will make no further comment at this time.”

Drouin’s agent, Allan Walsh, issued his own statement saying that the forward wasn’t playing to avoid an injury that could prevent him from being traded. Walsh also said “there is no reason for Jonathan to continue with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization in any capacity.”

With neither side motivated to change their position, a stalemate is likely following. Drouin has made himself a diminishing asset but, thanks to the way NHL contracts are structured at the start of a player’s career, there is no reason for the club to move him right now.

When push comes to shove, both sides are likely at fault. The Lightning have sent Drouin down and called him back up several times and head coach Jon Cooper never gave him significant playing time at the NHL level. As for Drouin himself, the former third-overall pick hasn’t consistently shown the talent that made him a star in juniors. And he probably is being a little immature, but what 20-year-old is going to make a completely measured choice when his career could be on the line?

Photo: Jonathan Drouin in December 2014 by Lisa Gansky via Wikimedia Commons

Article by Joe Kozlowski