Dubois scores for Kings in return to Winnipeg
Published
Pierre-Luc Dubois made his presence felt in his return to Winnipeg on Tuesday with the Los Angeles Kings, scoring against his former Jets team in the second period.
Just after a Kings powerplay had expired, Dubois found the puck and space in front of the net and beat Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in close to open the scoring.
Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala picked up assists on Dubois' first marker with the Kings.
There was a lot of anticipation for Dubois' return to Winnipeg and he expected the reception from the fans could turn out to be less than friendly.
“If they’re cheering my departure, I think I’d question a little bit more my time there,” Dubois said prior to the game. “But it is what it is.”
Dubois was signed to an eight-year, $68 million deal by the Jets and then traded to the Kings in June for Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a 2024 second-round pick.
Prior to the deal, Dubois had informed the team that he intended to test free agency.
The 25-year-old spent three seasons in Winnipeg, appearing in 195 games and contributing 63 goals and 80 assists.
The Ste-Agathe-Des-Monts, Que. native was selected third overall in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He made his NHL debut during the 2017-18 season and played parts of four seasons with Columbus before he was acquired by the Jets in January of 2021 for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic.