After walking away in NHL free agency, Jake DeBrusk’s tenure with the Boston Bruins is officially gone.
A former first-round draft pick in 2015, DeBrusk was a vital piece of the Bruins’ lineup for seven years. Nonetheless, DeBrusk’s long-term career in Boston will be defined by his infamous trade request during the 2021-22 season, when he was dissatisfied with his role with the Bruins.”Just with the way the team was shaping up when it came to looking at where I could possibly play in the lineup and things like that and how the [previous] year ended, I got scratched in the playoffs, and I was just thinking about a fresh start for both sides,” said DeBrusk during a recent appearance on the Cam & Strick Podcast, which is available here. “At that time, I took the decision to try and move things forward. I didn’t think they were taking it seriously, and at the time, I thought I was fighting for my job. I believed I could offer something more to what was going on, but nothing seemed to change.”
In the interview, DeBrusk stated that he informally notified the Bruins’ front staff of his intention to be transferred in the summer of 2021. However, after a terrible stretch in which he scored only three goals in his first 15 regular-season games, DeBrusk’s request went public, and he quickly became Boston’s public enemy number one.
“I know I made some enemies,” DeBrusk admitted. “There are several fan groups in Boston. It’s not an appealing thing to do. I just felt desperate about my own career. “I needed a change.”
At this time, the Bruins decided it was better to keep DeBrusk off the ice while they looked for a trade. However, a series of injuries to some The other players on the team pushed him back into the lineup and back into the spotlight.
While he remained a pariah among the Bruins’ fans, DeBrusk’s status within the dressing room remained unchanged. Although he no longer wanted to be in Boston, he saw that the only option to improve his condition was to stay a valuable member of the Bruins.
“When it came out, it was very uncomfortable,” DeBrusk admitted. “It was quite uncomfortable at the rink the next day. I talked to the guys in the room, and they were the main reason I got out of that position. They had my back and were with me through everything, and they were all fine with it. They realized I was looking for a better fit so I could have a longer NHL career and a greater opportunity at something.”
DeBrusk eventually revoked his trade request and signed a two-year deal with the Bruins on the same day as the NHL’s 2022 trading deadline.
The following year, DeBrusk had the best individual season of his career, scoring 50 points for the Bruins while playing under newly appointed head coach Jim Montgomery.
“It’s not that I didn’t want things to work out,” DeBrusk admitted. “Sure enough, everything fell back into place. I would not have expected to see this four years later. It taught me a great deal about myself. I felt like my back was against the wall all the time; I was walking on eggshells, and to be honeste , it forced me to mature quickly. It may have been a little early, but looking back, it led me to where I am now.”With thVancouver Canucks, DeBrusk will begin the fresh chapter of his career that he has sought. When the Canucks visit the Bruins on November 26, DeBrusk will make his first return to TD Garden.
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