Former Bruins forward shares heartfelt message after signing with Canucks

Jake DeBrusk will begin a new chapter in his NHL career after signing a seven-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks on the first day of free agency. The forward spent his first seven seasons with the Bruins after being selected by Boston in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

On Tuesday, DeBrusk took to Instagram to bid farewell to the team that gave him a chance and the fans he played in front of for years.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you to everyone I’ve had the chance to meet and know over my last seven years in the black and gold,” DeBrusk captioned the photo taken during the 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park. “Boston will always have a special place in my heart, thanks to the teammates I’ve battled with and the fans who have been with me from the beginning! With all that said, I’m extremely excited to start this new chapter of my career, be in Vancouver and put on that Canucks jersey! #itsshowtime #cheers.”

DeBrusk’s tenure in Boston came to an end after a difficult regular season, but he was arguably the team’s best forward through both rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before the Bruins were eliminated by the Florida Panthers. He admitted he was surprised the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement during the season.

General manager Don Sweeney said that while the team would like to get DeBrusk back, “the negotiations are a two-way street.”

DeBrusk’s time with the Bruins hasn’t always been perfect. He requested a trade in 2021, but Boston never found a trade partner. Instead, they signed him to a two-year extension at the deadline. In June 2022, after the Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs, the Bruins fired coach Bruce Cassidy and DeBrusk rescinded his trade request before the start of the season.

While DeBrusk has never confirmed or denied whether Cassidy’s departure was related to his staying in Boston, he said after speaking to his teammates that it was an easy decision to stay.

But there were plenty of moments when DeBrusk shone for Boston, most notably in the Winter Classic when he scored two goals – including the game-winner – against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Bruins’ comeback victory.

DeBrusk will now get a fresh start in Vancouver, something he is looking forward to.