Jake DeBrusk, a former Bruins forward, tested the free agent market and signed with the Vancouver Canucks at the beginning of July.
DeBrusk was a homegrown winger for the Bruins after being drafted by the team in 2015. He officially began his NHL career in 2017 and spent seven seasons with the Boston Bruins.
The 27-year-old was a healthy scratch during the 2021 playoffs, and he requested a trade at the end of the season to get a fresh start. Then, in November of the same year, DeBrusk requested another transfer, which became public.
Later in the season, however, he retracted his trade request and chose to remain with the Black and Gold.
DeBrusk reflected on that period in his career earlier this week during an appearance on “The Cam & Strick Podcast.”
“I asked for (a trade) in the summer,” DeBrusk stated. “Just with the way the team was shaping up in terms of where I was looking, where I could possibly fit into the lineup, and so on.” And the way the year finished, I got scratched in the playoffs, so I believed it was time for a fresh start for both sides.”
The discomfort subsided when DeBrusk’s Bruins teammates rallied around him. The next day at the rink, the players understood why he requested the trade.
“When it came out, it was very uncomfortable,” DeBrusk admitted. “It was quite awkward going into the rink the next day and talking to the men in the room. The guys who were there were the main reason I got out of that scenario, that side of things. They had my back; they supported me throughout it all, and they were all fine with me. They understood why in the room; they realized I was just looking for a better fit for my career so that I could have a longer NHL career and a greater opportunity at something.”
The forward remained with the Bruins for three more seasons and enjoyed success with the team. He played 77 games in 2021-22, scoring 42 points on 25 goals and 17 assists. The following season, in 80 games, he scored a career-high 50 points, with 27 goals and 23 assists.
Debrusk will now play on the opposite side when he returns to TD Garden on November.
