Jake DeBrusk reveals that he asked Bruins more than once to be traded

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Cooper Godin
July 19, 2024 (12:18)

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Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk reveals that he asked the Boston Bruins more than once to be traded.

Earlier this week, Jake DeBrusk, who signed a massive contract with the Vancouver Canucks on the opening day of free agency, was a guest on the Cam and Strick podcast and shared that when he was a member of the Boston Bruins, he requested a trade twice.

Initially, DeBrusk said he asked the Bruins about a trade in the summer but didn't feel like they took his request seriously, so he went back to management and told them again that he would like to be moved. Ultimately, DeBrusk was never dealt by the Bruins and rescinded his trade request in the summer of 2022, remaining in Boston for two more seasons before hitting the open market on July 1st.

"Yeah, well, I think I actually asked for one earlier. I asked for one in the summer. Just with kind of the way the team was shaping up. When it came to just where I was looking, where I could possibly play in the lineup and things like that, and kind of how the year ended. And, you know, I got scratched in the playoffs and I just thought, you know, it's time for maybe just a fresh start for both sides. You know, obviously, I'm speaking for myself, but that's kind of my thoughts going into the summer." DeBrusk said.

He added, "And, you know, at that point, I just made the call just to try to get it moving forward. I didn't think they were taking it serious. And I thought that at one point I was just playing for my career. At that point, I was just like, I think that I can add more than what is happening here. I didn't see anything changing in a sense for my own game. My game was getting worse. I was thinking about ten different things and, you know, when it came out, it was very uncomfortable. It was very uncomfortable in the rink the next day. I talked to the guys in the room, you know, and guys that were there were the biggest reason I got out of that situation, that side of things, you know. They had my back, they were with me through it all. And they were all good with me, they understood why. They knew it was just me trying to find a better fit for my career, to have a longer NHL career and a better chance at something."

The 27-year-old inked a seven-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks just over two weeks ago and will be a key piece of their top-six going forward, along with Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Danton Heinen and Nils Hoglander.

Moving on from Boston as a free agent was the right thing for Jake DeBrusk to do. While he was able to overcome how he felt thanks to his teammates, whic lead to him rescinding his trade request, going to another market will help him in the long run and he'll now have an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup with a strong Canucks team.