Ex-Bruins forward signs with the Canucks and sends a heartfelt message.
On the first day of free agency, Jake DeBrusk inked a seven-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks, ushering in a new chapter in his NHL career. After being selected by Boston in the first round of the 2015 draft, the forward played his first seven seasons with the Bruins.
DeBrusk said goodbye to the supporters he played in front of for many years as well as the team that gave him a chance on Instagram on Tuesday.
“Many thanks, many thanks, many thanks! DeBrusk wrote, “Thank you to everyone that I got to meet and had the pleasure of getting to know throughout my last 7 years in the black and gold,” as the caption for the picture taken at Fenway Park during the 2023 Winter Classic. “My teammates and the supporters who stood by me from the beginning are the reasons I will always have a special place in my heart for Boston! Having said all of that, I can’t wait to begin this new chapter in my career, move to Vancouver, and don a Canucks jersey! #Time for the show, cheers.
Despite having a patchy regular season, DeBrusk was arguably the team’s best forward through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before the Florida Panthers eliminated the Boston Bruins. He said he was taken aback that the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement during the season.
Although the team would prefer to have DeBrusk return, general manager Don Sweeney stated that “negotiations are a two-way street.”
Not everything about DeBrusk’s tenure with the Bruins was ideal. In 2021, he made a trade request, but Boston was never able to find a partner. At the last minute, they signed him to a two-year extension instead. Before the season began, DeBrusk rescinded his trade request, and the Bruins fired coach Bruce Cassidy in June 2022 following their elimination from the playoffs.
DeBrusk stated that it was an easy decision to stay after speaking with his teammates, even though he never explicitly stated or denied that Cassidy’s departure was related to him staying in Boston.
DeBrusk did, however, have many standout moments for Boston. One such instance was the Winter Classic, when he scored two goals, including the game-winning goal, as the Bruins overcame the Pittsburgh Penguins.
DeBrusk is eager to start over in Vancouver as he will now have a fresh start.
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