When Jake DeBrusk was a member of the Boston Bruins, he had the opportunity to play with several NHL luminaries.
Along with Stanley Cup winners Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Adam McQuaid, and Zdeno Chara, the 27-year-old forward also played with veterans David Backes, Nick Foligno, and Rick Nash.
Among all the athletes DeBrusk has faced, 6-foot-1, 198-pound native Chara, who is also 6-foot-9, was the one who really scared him.
Very composed manner. You seem like such a wonderful man, and I adore Z, but you’re a little scared at first. When DeBrusk appeared on “The Cam & Strick Podcast” on Tuesday, he recalled that he was “straight up intimidated seeing Z for the first time.” It was much more terrifying the first time I saw him on the ice, as I recall. I was thinking, “Oh my God, I don’t even know how to attack this guy right now,” during our one-on-one drill. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone like (him), but time gets used to things.
During his first Bruins training camp, DeBrusk explained, the club was working on a drill where the forwards would drive to the front of the net in search of the tip, and the defensemen would end up with the puck. When DeBrusk and Chara were in a rush for the first time, he leaned away from the net because he was unsure of what to anticipate from the former captain’s shot.
Following practice, Chara instructed DeBrusk to remain on the ice and stand in front of the net.
“He pulled out about fifteen pucks, bombed shots, and told me to stay there,” DeBrusk said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ but I got a couple of pieces of a couple and stuff.” At the end, he burst out laughing at me. That only serves to highlight the kind of guy he is, even during drills at training camp.
DeBrusk said that he was nervous to be in front of the net since he was unable to read Chara’s shots, but he also commended the great defenseman for giving him a valuable lesson.
“To be honest, the only way to get through anything is to dive right in.”
After agreeing to a seven-year contract with the Canucks, DeBrusk stated he gained a lot of knowledge from the guys in Boston and expects to apply that knowledge to Vancouver.
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