‘Every time he opens his mouth, I seem to be laughing’: Jake DeBrusk is Scoring Goals and Helping Bring the Locker Room Together in First Season with Canucks

At the start of the year, he was the ‘new guy,’ but with recent changes to the roster, Jake DeBrusk is now taking on more of a leadership role and is one of the most well-liked guys in the Vancouver Canucks’ locker room due to his contagious smile and consistent positive attitude.

DeBrusk has found immediate success in his opening season with the Vancouver Canucks. The 28-year-old winger is leading the Canucks with 21 goals and could notch his first 30-goal season in the NHL if he has a strong finish to his year.

The Canucks’ big free agent signing from the summer has been used on a few different lines this season but has primarily played alongside Elias Pettersson. Pettersson has assisted on seven of DeBrusk’s 21 goals this season, and the two players have found chemistry at even-strength and on the power play.

DeBrusk has also found success at even-strength with Pius Suter and Brock Boeser this season, showing that his playstyle can be adapted to many different player types.

When speaking to Head Coach Rick Tocchet or the players in the room, they all bring up DeBrusk’s skill around the crease and his willingness to battle in the dirty areas of the ice.

“The first thing you notice is the way he is net front,” said teammate Tyler Myers. “I think he’s got unbelievable puck skills around the net. It’s showing the way he is scoring goals this year. Getting to know Jake this year has been great. He knows what he’s good at, and he tries to do it as much as he can, which is great.”

When asked what is giving DeBrusk success this season, Tocchet said there is a lesson to learn about being around the net to score goals.

“That’s the stuff we need. You need those goals around the net,” said Tocchet. “Jake is a guy we really rely on for scoring.”

Not only has DeBrusk found success on the ice this season, but he has also found comfort in the dressing room and quickly became a well-liked figure.

“He makes me laugh a lot,” said Myers. “He’s got a different type of humour, which I think a lot of guys don’t understand, but every time he opens his mouth, I seem to be laughing.

“Jake is a jokester,” said Dakota Joshua with a chuckle. “I would say he’s a jokester off the ice, somebody that likes to keep it light and is never too serious. It seems like he never gets in a bad mood.”

Joshua also views DeBrusk as a calming presence in the room. He has over 500 NHL games of experience and a father who played 11 seasons in the league before becoming one of the league’s best colour commentators. DeBrusk has been around the game for a long time and does an excellent job keeping a level head when the group is facing hardship.

“He is always settling the group down; he’s never really too high or too low, but he just kind of keeps it steady in the middle,” said Joshua. “It’s nice to have; he keeps it loose and gives the guys a laugh.”

Jake’s great attitude spreads through the locker room like your grandma’s room-temperature butter on a hot piece of toast, and he has been able to take on more of a leadership role due to his ability to remain positive and upbeat when the team needs some jump.

He focuses on winning games and says that though he is on pace for the most productive season of his career, he is not completely satisfied with his game and believes he can do more in the season’s final stretch.

“I’m here to win. In terms of myself looking at [my] production, I’m not necessarily happy with it, really. I’ve had some stretches that haven’t been the best in certain things,” said DeBrusk.

“I need to find a way to generate more plays in general in the offensive zone. I’m playing with some pretty good players, and there’s some room to grow. It’s a hard league to be content in, no matter what your stats are. I don’t care what I have [for points] as long as we win.”