Perhaps the most surprising move in Mathieu Darche’s early tenure as the NY Islanders GM has been the signing of Jonathan Drouin.

The former top prospect in the NHL has made stops with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, and Colorado Avalanche before landing on Long Island.

Tonight, as the Matt Martin Foundation hosts its annual Charity Poker Tournament, Will Chiarucci on X posted a photo of players’ jerseys spread across different tables, and it appears Drouin will wear No. 29 with the Islanders, the number most recently worn by Brock Nelson.

Drouin to wear No. 29

Nelson, who spent 12 seasons with the Islanders after being selected 30th overall at the 2010 NHL Draft, solidified himself as one of the best players to wear the blue and orange since the dynasty years of the 80s.

Being that Nelson only departed the Islanders in March, traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Cal Ritchie and a first-round pick in 2026, it’ll take some getting used to for the Islanders’ faithful to see another player wearing No. 29.

During his time with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL, Lightning, and Avalanche, Drouin wore No. 27. While playing for his hometown Canadiens, he wore No. 92. With his typical No. 27 currently occupied by Captain Anders Lee and recently retired by John Tonelli, the number was unavailable.

Though it may be awkward at first seeing a different nameplate along with the No. 29, a good start for Drouin will have the fans not caring about the number associated with the player. With Darche taking over, he has no allegiance to Nelson and is ready to roll in a new era on Long Island.