How Bruins Players Felt About Jake DeBrusk Joining Canucks

Jake DeBrusk was beloved by Bruins players and fans alike, but his now-former teammates know he left Boston for an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

DeBrusk earned the first big payday of his NHL career when free agency opened Monday. The 27-year-old, who wore a Black and Gold sweater for seven seasons, left the franchise that drafted him 14th overall in 2015 to sign a seven-year, $38.5 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks.

In his first availability with Vancouver media, DeBrusk revealed how his big career move was received back in Boston.

“(My phone) has been blowing up, but they’re actually happy for me, at least for the Boston side of guys,” DeBrusk told reporters, per Boston.com. “I have lots of good friends over there and guys I’ve played with for a long time that understood something like this was probably going to happen, but they’re just really excited for me.”

DeBrusk won’t be making the journey from Boston to Vancouver on his own. Fellow wing Danton Heinen and defenseman Derek Forbort also left the Bruins to join the Canucks on the first day of free agency.

That trio will be back at TD Garden on Nov. 26 when the B’s host their Western Conference rival.