Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Jake Debrusk puts on a team jersey after being selected as the number fourteen overall pick to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Swift Current, home to about 17,000 and lying in southwest Saskatchewan off the TransCanada Highway, seems far away from Boston in many ways. Its official tourism site lists rodeos, creek racing, livestock shows and ranch horse riding among its featured attractions, but beginning in late September the site’s coming events are dominated by Swift Current Broncos hockey games.
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It may seem like an isolated place to get to and the WHL team hasn’t been the best in junior hockey, but Broncos players in recent years have begun to catch the attention of NHL scouts with team top scorers LW Jake DeBrusk (drafted 14th overall this June) and center Colby Cave (signed in April) being plucked by the Boston Bruins, center Glen Gawdin drafted in the 4th round by St. Louis, and three Broncos drafted in rounds 1-3 last year.
“It’s an awesome feeling, it’s unbelievable. I like the fact (Boston) is such a sports city, original six team traditions,” DeBrusk told Shawn Mullin in his Broncos Blog in July. “Colby is with Boston, too, so another sweetener in the whole process. We’re both pretty pumped, just both really excited for the opportunity that we have.”
The left shooting DeBrusk, 18, 6’0”, 177 lbs, often played on Cave’s line last season going against teams’ top defensive pairings. They totaled 156 points.
The Broncos seem to be a good learning ground. Both Cave and DeBrusk made steady improvements each year. Cave, 20, 6’0”, 190 lbs, also a left shot who served as the Broncos captain the last two seasons, improved from 6 goals and 16 points in 2011-2012 after being drafted in the first round of the 2009 WHL Bantam draft, to a 21-goal, 41-point campaign in 2012-2013 before hitting 33 goals and 70 points in 2013-2014 and a high of 35 goals and 75 points last year. He made it into a game for the Providence Bruins after the Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs and likely will serve there as a depth center for Boston this season after signing a three-year entry level deal. Should he put up good numbers with the Baby B’s and injuries arise with the varsity, he may even get a chance for a call-up down the road if he works his way up the depth chart.
Signing with Boston was a welcome achievement for an undrafted Saskatchewan kid who had previously attended NHL camps with San Jose and Arizona. “It’s an absolute dream come true and excited for what the future holds!” he tweeted on April 4 after signing.
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Jake Debrusk puts on a team cap after being selected as the number fourteen overall pick to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Meanwhile, Edmonton native DeBrusk has had a sharp ascent as a 7th round WHL Bantam Draft pick in 2011 who potted a modest 15 goals and 39 points his first season with the Broncos in 2013-2014 before exploding last year with 42 goals and 81 points in 72 games.
Curtis Joe in Elite Prospects called DeBrusk, “a two-way winger with good mobility and scoring ability (who is) willing to battle in the dirty areas and can always find the puck and make the smart play below the hashmarks. (He) shows good creativity and deception with the puck. Good individual skills and makes good use of any time and space found. All-in-all, a competitive two-way winger with the natural goal scorer’s instincts.”
Hockey’s Future added, “DeBrusk can compete physically across the WHL, skates very well and knows how to find scoring areas in the attacking zone. Perhaps the most pure goal scorer among the WHL’s draft-eligible forwards in 2015.”
It may be that goal-scoring knack, net drive, high compete level and steady progress that led him to go a little higher in the draft than his final prospect rankings (19th by Central Scouting, 27th by ISS) showed and ahead of highly touted fast, slick forwards like Matthew Barzal, Kyle Connor and Travis Konecny who were still on the board.
DeBrusk also said his pre-draft combine interview with Boston went very well and he left with a good vibe from it. “I thought I had a good chance to go there,” he told Mullin.
Puck Prose
Although Bruins development camp in July included many drills and introductions before the final scrimmage and shootout, DeBrusk made an impression in his first Boston appearances by wowing everyone with a flashy between the legs shootout goal on the final day. The Bruins hope for similar exciting things after a couple more years of seasoning when it’s expected he will compete to make the team.
Another recent highlight and proud moment for DeBrusk was being named to Canada’s World Junior initial 40-man roster. The team held practices and games earlier this month, and players will continue to be monitored during the first few months of the season before a final selection of 22 will play at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Finland Dec. 26-Jan. 5.
DeBrusk also plans to bring a high level of energy and enthusiasm to Bruins training camp before likely returning to that faraway place in southwestern Canada for another season of development with Swift Current. It will be a big year as he is expected to assume a leadership role with veterans like Cave gone. But he told Mullin he’s used to handling outside pressures now and plans on applying things he’s learned from previous team leaders through leading by example and helping younger players. “I kind of know what it takes,” he said. “All you can do is work your hardest and play your game. I’m going to be well-prepared for it and I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be really fun and I’m just going to give it my all.”