The $50.75 million dollars is nice, to be sure. But the peace of mind of having a seven-year deal with full trade protection in the first four seasons likely means even more to Brock Boeser. After a couple of seasons where the 28-year-old winger’s name had been on the trade block for a variety of reasons, Boeser and the Vancouver Canucks surprised many in the hockey world with the announcement of a long term contract extension on Tuesday morning.
A day later, Boeser revealed he’s ready to fully plant roots in the only National Hockey League city he’s ever called home.
“I’ve said many times, Vancouver feels like my second home,” the Burnsville, MN native said on a Zoom call with Canucks media. “It’s just so comfortable and I love it there. Maybe I can get a house there now.”
As realtors around Metro Vancouver line up to get Boeser’s business, the winger knows he won’t have to deal with trade talk and speculation that comes with the territory of playing in a market like this one.
A few seasons back, Boeser’s contract made him virtually untradeable. This past season as the two sides struggled to find common ground on an extension, the trade talk ramped up again.
Boeser admitted it was a lot to deal with. But holding the cards as a pending unrestricted free agent, he was able to command a full no movement clause in the first four years of his new contract with a modified 15-team no trade list in each of the final three years of the deal.
“I think that was a big part of coming to terms, just structuring it that way,” he explained. “I think it’s important. Now I don’t really have to worry about that for a bit. I can just focus and play hockey and be the best I can be. Just looking at the deal, I think it was a deal that was fair for both sides at least for me I thought so. With the cap continuing to go up over these years I thought it would be fair enough for both sides.”
A first round pick in 2015, Boeser has now been part of the Canucks organization for more than a decade. He has grown up in Canucks colours and currently sits fifth in games played and fourth in points among players that have only ever worn a Canucks uniform.
A rookie of the year finalist, a two-time NHL All Star game participant and a 40-goal scorer in 2023-24, Boeser has clearly developed a special bond with the Canucks fan base.
And it’s one of the biggest reasons he’s thrilled to be back in the fold with the potential of playing his entire career in Vancouver.
“They’ve been so supportive of me not just with hockey but away from the rink and that means the world to me,” he said. “Everyone is so kind when you’re out and about and people say hi. People are so kind and respectful. That means a lot to me. I’m just happy personally that I don’t have to deal with another bridge deal and deal with that. I’m just happy I got the seven years and I can focus on playing hockey and helping our team win games now.”
Ultimately, the fan base wants to see Brock Boeser and his teammates become Stanley Cup contenders. And for all he’s done in his 10 years in the organization, Boeser hasn’t had many cracks at the Cup. He has appeared in the playoffs twice, first in the bubble in 2020 and then again when he excelled with seven goals and 12 points in 12 playoff games a year ago.
This past season was a step backward and Boeser knows it. But he doesn’t think this team is as far off as some suggest.
“I have so much faith in our team,” he said. “You look at our D corps and the goalies and it’s so good. Everyone talks about the centres and stuff and we need another centre, but us forwards know that we need to be better.”
Boeser and his teammates will get that chance starting in October. A lot will have to go right for the Canucks to return to the playoffs next season. But as this past week has shown, Brock Boeser is proof that things in the NHL can change in a hurry. And as it turned out, it was a long and winding road that led him right back to where he wanted to be.
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