Important revelation: Ovechkin would have seriously slowed down Jonathan Drouin's career

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Jeff Drouin
November 12, 2022 (6:54 PM)

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Next Tuesday, November 15, marks the 3rd anniversary of Alex Ovechkin's solid body check on Jonathan Drouin. It's safe to say that this moment marked the beginning of the end for the Quebecer.

In his most recent article, Radio-Canada journalist Martin Leclerc went back over this sad event that changed Drouin's professional trajectory.

Leclerc revisits a scientific study published in October 2018 in The Journal of Neurotrauma, which he discussed a few years ago. This study on concussions in the NHL is chilling!

Indeed, it reveals that 64.1% of concussed NHL players are unlikely to play in the league three years later. Conversely, non-concussed players have a 58.3% chance of still being in the league after three seasons.

"The authors of this study, eight American orthopedists and an anesthesiologist, further noted that, on average, players managed by the concussion protocol no longer play in the NHL 2.1 seasons later." - Martin Leclerc

Looking at this statistic, it's much easier to understand Jonathan Drouin's situation. Especially on the eve of the third anniversary of this sad event.

Some will say that Jonathan Drouin wasn't playing better before that body check. However, the numbers don't say that:

"Before getting hit by Ovechkin on November 15, 2019 and being placed on the NHL's concussion protocol, Jonathan Drouin was off to his best start in the professional ranks. He had scored 7 goals and 8 assists in 17 games. In addition, the previous season he had matched his career best with 53 points in 82 games." - Martin Leclerc

When you think about it, it's easy to find people who have seen their careers wither away in the three years following a concussion. Consider Paul Byron, who suffered a concussion while throwing down the gloves against MacKenzie Weegar of the Florida Panthers in 2019. Since then, he has not been the same player at all.

Martin Leclerc also cites the cases of Bryan Little, Michael Ferland and Sven Baertschi as examples.

It will be necessary, when we look back at the career of the Quebec forward, to put into perspective this fateful date and take it into account. Oh yes, Ovechkin was not even punished on the ice for his gesture...

"Ovechkin's gesture had not been punished during the game even though the Capitals star's skates had left the ice before impact. From a reverse angle, you could also see that Drouin had been hit in the head by Ovechkin's elbow or upper arm. And because he had jumped, Ovechkin had fallen back on top of Drouin, whose head had hit the ice hard." - Martin Leclerc

The reporter also went on the air with BPM Sports on Thursday night. Feel free to go listen to his segment.