Jake DeBrusk
A clutch playoff performer who battled through public trade requests and scrutiny to become a core scorer for the Boston Bruins.
Born 1996 (age 30)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: October 17·Millennials
Biography
Jake DeBrusk's NHL narrative is one of resilience under the bright lights of a demanding hockey market. The son of former enforcer Louie DeBrusk, he entered the league with the pedigree of a Boston Bruins first-round pick and immediately showed a scorer's touch, netting 16 goals as a rookie. His game, built on speed and a nose for the net, shone brightest in spring; his double-overtime winner in the 2019 playoffs is etched in Bruins lore. Yet his path wasn't smooth. A public trade request in 2021, followed by a career-worst scoring slump, placed him at a crossroads. His response was definitive: a return to form under a new coach, a rescinded request, and a career-high 27 goals, cementing his place as a vital, battle-tested piece of the Bruins' identity before moving to Vancouver.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Jake was born in 1996, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jake Was Born
The biggest hits of 1996
#1 Movie
Independence Day
Best Picture
The English Patient
#1 TV Show
ER
Jake's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1996Born
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2001Started school
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2009Became a teenager
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Could drive
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2014Could vote
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2017Turned 21
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Turned 30
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored 27 goals in the 2022-23 season, a career high, after publicly rescinding a trade request.
- Notched a double-overtime, series-clinching goal for the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the 2019 First Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- Recorded five goals in a single playoff series during the Bruins' 2019 run to the Stanley Cup Final.
- Was drafted 14th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Did You Know?
His father, Louie DeBrusk, is a former NHL player and current sports broadcaster for Sportsnet.
He is known for using a unique, bright yellow stick blade tape on his hockey stick.
He scored his first NHL goal in his very first NHL game on October 5, 2017.
He played junior hockey for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, the same team his father played for.
“I want to be the guy they can count on in those big moments.”
