Islanders’ Jonathan Drouin suspended one game for cross-checking Penguins’ Connor Dewar

On Friday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that New York Islanders forward Jonathan Drouin has been suspended one game for his cross-checking incident against Pittsburgh Penguins forward Connor Dewar.

The play happened in the dying moments of the matchup between the Metropolitan Division rivals on Thursday night, the Islanders’ first game of the 2025-26 campaign. With just 15 seconds to go, Drouin hit Dewar up high with his stick. The play resulted in a cross-checking penalty to Drouin, as well as a game misconduct.

Drouin scored his first goal of the season in a 4-3 loss to the Pens.

It’s the first time Drouin has ever been suspended for his actions on the ice. While with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2021-22 season, he was fined $5,000 for cross-checking Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin.

Drouin has been suspended in the past. As a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in January 2016, he was suspended by the team after failing to report to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

The Quebec native was playing in his first game with the Isles after signing a two-year contract with the team in July. The deal has a cap hit of $4 million.

Drouin came to Long Island after spending the last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. Injuries limited him to just 43 games during the 2024-25 campaign, but he managed to score 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points. He registered three assists in the Avs’ first-round series against the Stars, which Colorado lost in a thrilling seven-game battle.

In 608 NHL regular-season games, Drouin has scored 108 goals and 267 assists for 375 points, with another 27 points in 43 postseason affairs.