Jake DeBrusk wants to make one thing clear: he hasn’t asked the Vancouver Canucks for a trade.

In conversation with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, DeBrusk was emphatic in setting the record straight that he hasn’t asked for a trade from the Canucks.

“I want to say this on the record: I have not asked for a trade. There are all kinds of crazy things out there sometimes, but I haven’t talked to anyone about that. I signed in Vancouver for a reason. I wanted to help them win and I still think I can help them.”

DeBrusk signed as an unrestricted free agent following the Canucks run to the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canucks plummeted the next two seasons, culminating in a dead-last finish in 2025-26 before undergoing total regime change with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, along with GM Ryan Johnson, leading the club through a rebuild.

The often positive DeBrusk was the subject of a healthy scratch last season, as floundering Canucks head coach Adam Foote picked DeBrusk and none of the other underwhelming Canucks veterans to take a night off in the press box. Between that, DeBrusk’s struggles to score at 5v5, the Canucks shifting gears into a rebuild mid-season, and more, 2025-26 was a frustrating season for DeBrusk.

DeBrusk made headlines last season when he said a rebuild “is not something I would be OK with or accepting. My game doesn’t fit that.” DeBrusk clarified those comments the very next day, reiterating that he was still committed to this team. DeBrusk was the subject of trade rumours late last season and into the offseason (as most veterans are on a rebuilding team), but he’s now made it clear that he isn’t asking out and is eager to help the Canucks through this next chapter.

“This is my 10th season. I’ve been around some pretty good leaders. I’ve been through a lot of things, learned a lot. I think I can help (younger players). I may be turning 30, but I act like I’m 25. I’m just excited to get going again,” DeBrusk told Sportsnet.

“I learned more about myself last year than any other year. This game humbles you. I think when you lose, everybody has to look at themselves…But you know, one of the things I remember about last season is that at the end of a very tough year, our building was still full and fans were standing and cheering for us. That doesn’t go unnoticed. We’ve got great fans, and I’m falling in love with this city.”