This year, the Lions du Lac St-Louis, a midget AAA team based in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since its inception in 1976, many talented youngsters have played for the team on their way to the NHL. As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the team will retire the jerseys of five NHLers who have marked its history.
On September 5, the jerseys of Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Mike Matheson, free agent and former San Jose Sharks blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic, New York Islanders’ forwards Jonathan Drouin and Anthony Duclair, and Anaheim Ducks’ left winger Alex Killorn will all be retired.
Canadiens’ Center Depth Is A Big Problem
Canadiens: Suzuki’s 4 Nations Face Off Snub Wasn’t A Message
Former Canadiens Player Gets Front Office Job
Vlasic played for the Lions from 2002 to 2004 before joining the Remparts de Québec in the QMJHL and being drafted by the Sharks, with whom he has spent his entire career so far. While he has never won the Stanley Cup, he does have two silver medals from the World Championship, one gold medal from the Sochi Olympics, and was part of the World Cup-winning team in 2016.
Killorn spent a single season in Lac St-Louis before joining the Harvard University program, where he caught the eye of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, who drafted him in the third round of the 2007 draft. He won the Cup twice with the Bolts and has now played 950 NHL games; he is expected to reach the 1000-game mark this upcoming season in Anaheim.
Former Hab Drouin, Matheson, and Duclair were teammates with the Lions when the team won the Jimmy-Ferrari Cup in 2011. Drouin was the only one to spend two seasons with the Lac St-Louis team before being drafted by the Halifax Mooseheads. Alongside Nathan MacKinnon, he won the QMJHL championship and the Memorial Cup before being drafted third overall by the Lightning in 2013. While his career hasn’t gone as expected, he has played 607 games with the Lightning, the Canadiens, and the Colorado Avalanche, picking up 374 points in the process.
As for Duclair, he joined the Remparts de Quebec of the QMJHL before being drafted in the third round by the New York Rangers. Since then, he has played for eight NHL teams. Just like Drouin, he has played 607 NHL games, but he’s slightly less productive with 314 points.
Finally, Canadiens’ rearguard Matheson was the Lions’ captain in 2010-11, leading the team to a championship and being named the league’s best defenseman. After playing midget hockey in Quebec, he joined Boston College in the NCAA and was then selected in the first round by the Florida Panthers in 2012. So far, he has played 627 NHL games with the Florida Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Canadiens, accumulating 265 points along the way.
Matheson has really come into his own in Montreal, setting new highs in offensive production and becoming an important leader on a young Habs team. While he hasn’t been relied on as much offensively of late, his mentoring has been crucial for the young defense corps. It will be interesting to see how the Canadiens will choose to go forward in his case as he’s entering the final year of his contract.
Canadiens: Big Season Ahead For MathesonThe Montreal Canadiens made the most significant trade of the summer when they acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. That acquisition is going to have a substantial impact on the team and on certain players in particular. One of the players who is likely to be the most affected is Mike Matheson.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.