Swift Current Broncos forward Jake DeBrusk won’t have to wait long to hear his name called from the podium at this week’s NHL Draft. That wasn’t the case during the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft where DeBrusk wasn’t sure if he would hear his name at all.
He wasn’t the biggest player on the ice coming up and the Edmonton native waited patiently as 136 players were selected in the first six-plus rounds before him. The 137th pick belonged to Swift Current, who selected him, and now four years later DeBrusk is on the verge of being taken in the first round of the NHL Draft.
Seventh-round bantam picks rarely turn into much more than training camp fodder, but DeBrusk made the club. During rookie season in 2013 he went on a late run that saw him score five times along with nine assists over the last ten games. His 15 goals that year got the attention of NHL scouts and before this last season he was given a ‘B’ rating by Central Scouting.
DeBrusk never got down by where he was selected, getting picked was the most important thing. “The draft doesn’t mean everything honestly, especially the Bantam Draft,” he says. “If you just keep believing in yourself and working hard, good things can happen.”
Good things kept happening and as he kept scoring goals, his stock kept rising. That ‘B’ soon became an ‘A’
With the Broncos desperately trying to hold on to a playoff spot down the stretch this season, he put them on his back. He scored six goals and 13 points over Swift Current’s final four games to get them into the post season. He ended the year with an impressive 42 tallies – good for sixth in the league – and 81 points.
Not bad for a seventh-round pick. The NHL has noticed as he now ranks as a top 30 prospect.
Jake’s father, Louie DeBrusk, played over 400 games in the NHL, mostly with the Edmonton Oilers. Louie was more known for his physical and gritty play, not so much the skill his son possesses.
Despite being a different type of player, Jake cherishes the advice his Dad offers him on playing the game. “I talk to him after every single game and he’s there and always been there since day one,” Jake says. “He knows me pretty well as a player and a person. Its just really good to have someone like him to talk to…he’s given me lots of great advice.”
DeBrusk is no longer the undersized player that caused WHL teams to pass him over. His hockey IQ and pure goal scoring ability will translate well to the next level. He has a nose for the net and scores a lot of goals from in tight.
Growing up with the game – he says he attended his first Oilers game the week he was born – Jake watches a lot of hockey and analyzes what he sees in NHL games. That contributes to his hockey smarts and his natural talents do the rest.
Like most prospects in their draft year will tell you, DeBrusk has tried not to pay attention to the myriad of rankings that are out there. That got harder and harder for him to do as the season wore with the extra media attention.
He got an invite to the BMO Top Prospects Game and now has the potential of being an NHL first-round pick. “I just kind of try to stay away from that stuff,” he says. “It’s hard sometimes, but I just focused on the team and try to get wins and get better as a player. This year’s been unreal for me.”
With the draft a week away, DeBrusk’s unreal year is about to get even better. After watching 136 players picked before him four years ago, he won’t see 30 go before him this time.
Here’s how some of the other key WHL draft eligible players fared this past season.
Mathew Barzal, C, Seattle Thunderbirds
Barzal started the year as the presumptive top NHL prospect in the WHL. His season went sideways in November when a fluke off-ice knee injury cost him 28 games. He returned from the injury in the middle of January and was Seattle’s best player down the stretch. He ended the year with 12 goals and 45 assists in his 44 games, added eight more points in six playoff games and 12 points in seven games with Team Canada at the U18 World Championships. Barzal grew into one of the league’s top play-makers by averaging over an assist per game. Will his injury hurt his draft stock?
Ivan Provorov, D, Brandon Wheat Kings
What a rookie season Ivan Provorov turned in for the Brandon Wheat Kings. The high-flying defenseman ended the year with 61 points from the Wheat Kings blue line. That was good enough for fourth best among WHL defenseman and tops amongst the league’s rookies. For good measure the Russian added 13 more points as Brandon made their way to the league final. The questions at the draft will be whether Provorov goes before Barzal and if he’s ready to step right into the NHL.
Nick Merkley, C, Kelowna Rockets
Merkley was one of the top players all year as he put up 90 points for a superb Rockets team, but his star really exploded during the postseason. He was huge for the WHL Champs and racked up 27 points in 19 playoff games. Then he was one of the more dynamic players at this year’s Memorial Cup, potting three goals. The Rockets came up just short in the final, but Merkley put his incredible talent on display for the entire nation to see.
Jansen Harkins, C, Prince George Cougars
Harkins came out of the gates this year showing off his vision and playmaking ability. He picked up 16 assists in his first 16 games of the season. As the season wore on he showed he could light the lamp as well, notching 20 goals to go along with 59 assists. Harkins led a good offensive Cougars club in scoring and more than doubled his goal and point output from his rookie season.
On the first round cusp
Noah Juulsen, D, Everett Silvertips
Juulsen proved during his rookie year that he had the chops to play a solid defence on a good Silvertips team. This past year he continued to shut down opposing forwards but stepped up on the offensive side of things. His offensive development landed him on Everett’s top power-unit and he responded with nine goals and 52 points. Everett has developed NHL quality defencemen in Ryan Murray and Mirco Mueller in the past. Juulsen appears to be the next one in line. Will he slip into the first round?
Paul Bittner, F, Portland Winterhawks
Bittner started slowly this season but eventually got his game going in a big way. Playing on a line with Nic Petan and Oliver Bjorkstrand certainly helped, but Bittner complimented those guys rather than just going along for the ride. The big-bodied forward has nice hands which helped him tally 34 goals this past season. His goal scoring has improved every season, after being drafted how many will he score this coming season?
Brandon Carlo, D, Tri City Americans
Carlo is not going to be confused for Ivan Provorov anytime soon. The Tri City blue liner is not the offensive threat some of the other WHL defensive prospects are. However, he is a strong, physical defenseman who is rarely out of position. He only scored four times last year but scouts are going to be more interested in his hitting and what he can do with his 6’5″ reach. Shutdown defenders don’t often go in the first round of the NHL Draft, will Carlo?