If you are a fan of ice hockey, you might have heard of two players who share the same last name: Jonathan Drouin and Jude Drouin. Jonathan is a current left winger for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL), while Jude is a retired center who played for several NHL teams in the 1960s and 1970s. But are they related? And if so, how?
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The origin of the Drouin name
The Drouin name is a common French-Canadian surname that originated from the Normandy region of France. According to Ancestry.com, the name is derived from a personal name composed of the Germanic elements “drogo” (meaning “ghost” or “phantom”) and “win” (meaning “friend”). The name was brought to Canada by early settlers who migrated from France in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The hockey careers of Jonathan and Jude
Jonathan Drouin was born on March 28, 1995, in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec. He started playing hockey at a young age and showed great talent and skill. He was drafted by the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2011 and had a stellar season in 2012-13, winning the CHL Player of the Year award and the Memorial Cup. He was then selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, third overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the Lightning for four seasons, before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 2017. He played for the Canadiens for six seasons, before signing with the Avalanche as a free agent in 2021.
Jude Drouin was born on October 28, 1948, in Mont-Louis, Quebec. He also began playing hockey at a young age and was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round, 17th overall, of the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft. He played for their junior team, the Montreal Junior Canadiens, before turning professional with the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League (CHL). He made his NHL debut with the Canadiens in 1968-69, but spent most of his time in the minors with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he won the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award for rookie of the year and led the league in scoring in 1969-70. He was traded to the Minnesota North Stars in 1970 and became one of their star players for four and a half seasons. He was then traded to the New York Islanders in 1975 and helped them reach the NHL playoff semifinals three-straight seasons from 1975 to 1977. He sat out the 1978-79 season to become a free agent and signed with the Winnipeg Jets in 1979. He retired early in the 1980-81 season.
The family connection between Jonathan and Jude
So, are Jonathan and Jude related? The answer is yes, but not very closely. According to Wikipedia, Jonathan is Jude’s second cousin once removed. This means that Jude is Jonathan’s grandfather’s second cousin. They share a common ancestor who was born in France in the late 1600s and moved to Canada in the early 1700s.
The Drouin name is not very rare in Quebec, so it is not surprising that there are other hockey players who share it. For example, there is also Marc Drouin, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Quebec Nordiques in the NHL in the 1980s, and Eric Drouin, who played for several minor league teams in North America and Europe in the 1990s and 2000s. However, they are not known to be related to Jonathan or Jude.
Conclusion
Jonathan Drouin and Jude Drouin are two hockey players who have made their mark on the NHL with their skills and achievements. They also share a family name that traces back to France and Canada. They are second cousins once removed, but they have never played together or against each other on the ice. They are part of a proud hockey tradition that spans generations and continents.
