ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jake DeBrusk walked into the tiny visitor’s dressing room at Honda Center after practice with an extra bounce in his step.
Standing by his stall about to peel off his practice jersey and shoulder pads, he was grinning ear-to-ear and cracking jokes with Kiefer Sherwood, who he’s quickly become good friends with, next to him. When The Athletic approached DeBrusk for a conversation about his transition to the Vancouver Canucks, Sherwood chimed in and jokingly asked if he could join the interview. DeBrusk cracked a smirk and played along, calling it a great idea before Sherwood grabbed his belongings and exited to the backroom to give us some space.
DeBrusk is a naturally upbeat and gregarious personality, but you can sense he’s feeling extra light and confident after scoring his first goal as a Canuck over the weekend against the San Jose Sharks. He’s got experience overcoming cold streaks over his seven NHL seasons — he didn’t score his first goal of the 2023-24 season until Nov. 2 — but this slow start felt higher stakes because of his desire to make a good first impression in Vancouver.
After Monday’s practice, DeBrusk sat down with The Athletic and explained what it’s truly like transitioning to a new team, how he’s trying to build chemistry with the Canucks’ star players and why he’s confident he’ll rediscover the best version of himself in Vancouver.
This is a slightly condensed version of our conversation, edited for clarity.
When you move to a new team, especially when you were with your old one for a long time, what’s one challenge, whether it’s on the ice or off of it, that media and fans maybe don’t fully understand?
I’m not gonna say there’s a lot of things. I’d say it’s been pretty smooth but just day to day, you’re used to seeing guys that you played with for eight years, just more so personality-wise and personnel and kind of knowing where to go — that’s half the thing.
It’s kinda easy to say “Yeah, I don’t know how to get in and out of the rinks,” but even just on the ice in terms of what types of drills are being asked or what’s the pace. It comes to every little thing.
I think the biggest thing is just relationships, getting to meet people. I said it earlier, it’s like you’re in school for the first time. It’s like if you go to a different job, you’ve got completely different people you’re working for, or different bosses, different seats, everything like that.
It’s more just getting used to it. It’s my second time on the road now so it’s a little bit easier just seeing the (jersey) colours and everything like that.
What are the nerves and jitters like when you’re trying to make a good first impression?
I was more excited but I was pretty nervous actually for training camp. I felt like a rookie because I didn’t know anything about the drills. It was kinda funny, I like being nervous. I like feeling those feelings because it obviously means you care, but it (also) usually brings the best out of me.
The home opener for us was when it clued in for real. When the crowd’s going and your number’s getting called and you’re going out there, you’re like “Alright, this is it” (laughs). I know what I signed up for obviously but until you actually walk the walk of it (you don’t know what it’s going to be like). It’s a moment I won’t forget, that’s for sure.
IN DEBRUSK WE TRUST 🫡 pic.twitter.com/g5lsip9bbf
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 3, 2024
As far as integrating into the locker room, I imagine the whole group has been great to you, and you know Danton Heinen from Boston, but are there one or two players who you’ve become good friends with or who have made you feel really comfortable?
There’s a couple guys that I want to put my head against the wall with some nails (laughs). But no, it’s been pretty easy.
J.T. (Miller) was one of the first guys I met at his charity golf tournament. Right away, we bonded pretty quickly. And then either Spronger (Daniel Sprong) or Woody (Sherwood) — it’s one of those things where all the new guys come together. We’ve got our own little pack.
We came down a month early before training camp, so it was nice to kind of get that feel, especially before training camp.
Systems-wise, is there much of a difference between Boston and Vancouver? Has there been a learning curve or is it pretty similar?
It’s pretty similar, actually. It’s one of the things I noticed even playing against (the Canucks) that it was a tight game, especially with Tocc (coach Rick Tocchet). It’s just the ‘right way’ to play hockey — that’s obviously what Boston is known for with their defensive-first (mindset), so I thought it’d be an easy transition because it seems like a similar system.
If anything, (I’ve been adjusting to) certain routes for wingers.
Like on the breakout?
Yeah, like (I’ve learned) don’t hug on the walls or (other) tendencies that I’ve always done. It’s just little routes, the system was actually fairly natural.
Early on, you’ve bounced around the lineup a bit. What’s the actual process to try and build chemistry with new linemates?
It’s a great question. Sometimes it comes naturally, sometimes it comes with time, but those are all things that don’t help in the moment. In the moment, the only way you can get through it is talking with guys like “What do you see there?” just to get any faster types of reads or their tendencies for where they like to go.
J.T. likes rimming pucks around the wall (in the offensive zone), which I didn’t figure out until probably like four games of playing with him. Go figure. But there’s different things where I’ve figured out like even coming out of the (defensive) zone I was talking about my routes: “Where does Brock like to go? Where can I attack? Where can I use my speed?”
It’s a little bit hard with everything going on, but at the same time, it’s not because it’s just a game of hockey.
I love the examples you gave as far as learning specific tendencies like Miller’s rims around the wall or figuring out ways to use your speed on the breakout. Are there other examples you can think of where once you get on the same page with your teammates, it’ll make a big difference?
You have your D pairing as well. Quinn (Hughes) and (Filip) Hronek play a lot so I’m trying to understand how they play.
When Quinn skates out the puck (on the breakout) and does his Bobby Orr, I don’t know where he’s going. I have no idea. So I’ve been watching him because I’m fast enough to kinda catch him so it’s things like “How do I time it? Do I just go on one side?” It’s things you learn but once it becomes automatic, then you’re just playing hockey and it’s usually money.
With breakouts, if you can have the advantage of knowing where the puck’s going to go and knowing where (you should) go, then you’ll have the puck more and a good chance of success.
Going back to Boston, you’ve been labelled as a streaky scorer. Do you think streaky is an accurate label for you?
I feel like I’ve been called it for my whole career (laughs). I feel like at some point you’ve got to admit it.
But saying that, I think my actual overall game has become way more consistent than when I first came into the league. My overall game isn’t really hurting the team, but before it would and it would take over my whole game because you get fixated on certain things.
If you’re asking me if another one (hot streak) is coming, I hope so. When they come, they come in really hot and it’s like you can’t do any wrong. I felt like the last 10 games there was nothing really going right.
You try to manage the roller coaster but I’ve gone through it so much that the only difference (now) was that it was a new team and everything. I was like “F—, I at least gotta get the first one here.” Mentally, you just can’t be obsessed with the result because then you won’t get there, you just gotta focus on the details of the game.
I watched you closely in the playoffs last year and you were so dangerous and dynamic. What attributes do you have when you’re playing your best hockey that you’re trying to build toward and show here in Vancouver?
Physical on the forecheck but also the speed of it. The legs feed the wolf. I’m playing my best when I’m flying out there. I’m (hard on the forecheck), backchecking, tracking.
Finishing and scoring. That’s why I’m here. It’s kinda funny to say that, but it’s true and it will come.
I imagine it’s a lot easier to fly speed-wise when everything is natural and instinctual rather than thinking about those reads/tendencies with new teammates.
Yeah, it just takes an extra half a second, right? That’s normal, there were even times when I thought that playing in Boston.
(Note: NHL Edge data shows DeBrusk’s speed bursts over 20 miles per hour are indeed down significantly compared to last season, which supports the theory he’s playing slower as a result of being in his head a little bit.)
It’s hard not to think sometimes when things aren’t going your way on (the) ice, or lots of different outside factors that come into play. But once everything is clear, it’s usually go time. Every player wants to be in the zone, when you’re in the zone, I feel like that’s kinda how I played in the playoffs. I don’t know why it always takes that (the playoffs) to get me out of it, but that always gets me out of it.
(Photo: Robert Edwards / Imagn Images)
