DO DAD PROUD, KID
Father appreciates close-up view of B’s DeBrusk
VANCOUVER — As an NHL rookie, Jake DeBrusk always has eyes on him — judging him, assessing him, seeing if he can handle the rigors of the demanding schedule.
Last night at Rogers Arena, he was to have an extra set of peepers watching him. The Bruins winger’s father, Louie, is a former NHLer and analyst for Sportsnet who was set to be the man between the benches for “Hockey Night in Canada.”
Louie DeBrusk learned the B’s-Canucks game was going to be on his docket a few months ago and was thrilled that the date finally came around.
“My boss called me and told me this was on the calendar and to mark it down,” the elder DeBrusk said. “You never know, right? It was a few months ago, so you don’t know if he’s still going to be here, could he be injured, whatever. So you just kind of build up to it and hope it happens and it has. It’s great. I got to have dinner with him (Friday) night and it’s been a good visit already. I’m looking forward to seeing him play live. I’ve only seen him play live twice (in the NHL), so for me I’m excited as a dad but also as an analyst to sit and call this game. The team’s having a great season.”
One might think it could be a bit weird for either father or son for the elder DeBrusk to be so close to the action, but Louie didn’t think that was going to be the case.
“It’s funny. I don’t know. With Jake, there’s the dad side of it, but I’m also an analyst, too. We talk hockey a lot. It’s not like we don’t ever break down games,” Louie said. “Usually when we’re together, we’re talking about the league, talking about players, talking about the game. It’s his life, and it’s my life, too. So for us, it’s just kind of par for the course. I’m just really excited about. I’m excited to see him up close and personal. I’ll have the best seat in the house, between the benches at ice level, which is always a fantastic night for me because it’s a great point of view. And with him out there, it’ll be extra special.”
The instance wasn’t a first involving a Bruin. When Landon Ferraro was with the B’s, the forward’s father Ray called a game from between the benches.
“Ray actually joked before I saw Jake’s first game and he said, ‘Try not to cry.’ So he kind of jinxed me. I guess he shed a few tears, too,” said Louie, who was indeed caught on camera wiping away tears after his son scored in the season opener. “But rightfully so. It’s an emotional time. You’re so excited and, especially when you’re in this world, it hits home a little bit more, too. It’s special for anybody in any walk of life, especially in hockey to make it to the NHL. But when you’ve been around the business as long as I’ve been, it’s even more special because it’s been a part of your life. It’s something he’s dreamed about as a young kid. This was his goal. He wanted to be in the NHL. And so for me to see him step on the ice, it’s a special moment for me because I know how hard he’s worked for it.”
Being in the media business, the elder DeBrusk hears all the trade scuttlebutt and knows it can be hard to separate fact from rumor. Jake’s name has been mentioned as a possible piece going to the New York Rangers if the B’s do indeed decide to go all in on acquiring defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
“You know what? I’ve been traded. He and I have talked about it. If you’re getting mentioned in respect to trades involving good players, then that’s a compliment. That’s the way I look at it. If you’re being mentioned, that’s because other teams want you,” Louie said. “If you’re not getting mentioned, that’s when you’re in trouble. That’s when you know you better start picking up your game. He’s a good young prospect and he’s having a good year and I can see why teams are interested in him. So I told him, ‘That’s a positive and there’s nothing you can do about it. Just go play. You can’t control the business side of the game. All you can control is what you can control.’
“Of course, he wants to stay here. He loves being a Bruin, they’re having a great year. He’s got great friends here. But you can’t be worried about that. It’s hard to turn it off sometimes for players. But the easiest place to do that is on the ice.”