Canucks holding their own despite slow start to the season for Jake DeBrusk

Lost in the many storylines that have emerged a dozen games into an eventful new Vancouver Canucks season is the fact that the injury-riddled hockey club is somehow 6-6 despite just two goals from last year’s leading goal-scorer, Jake DeBrusk.

With players leaving the lineup on a nightly basis and the club needing others to fill the void, it’s remarkable in many ways that the team has managed to tread water with very little in the way of offensive contributions from one of the guys expected to deliver.

Canucks' injury problems get worse

It’s easy to dismiss DeBrusk’s sluggish start and simply chalk it up to him being a slow starter and a streaky player. Some of that is fact, and surely his goals will come. But his funky start isn’t just about his goal production.

Twelve games into the season, DeBrusk has two goals and two assists. Both of his goals have come on the power play, and his two assists are both secondary helpers that came in the first two games of the season. He doesn’t yet have a 5-on-5 goal and has now gone 10 games without setting up a teammate. One of his assists was on the 5-1 goal late in the Canucks season opener against the Calgary Flames.

As the calendar flips to November, DeBrusk sits a point behind Evander Kane and a point ahead of Drew O’Connor in team scoring. Clearly, more was expected from a guy who netted a career-best 28 goals last season and finished with 48 points. Again, he’s not going to be a four-point guy every month.

But it’s wild that at a time when the Canucks could use production from the few healthy proven scorers they’ve got, DeBrusk has been so quiet. Too quiet, frankly.

Yet, with the game on his stick in St. Louis on Thursday night, it was DeBrusk who came through with the

only goal of the shootout to seal a gutsy 4-3 victory. In the win, DeBrusk logged a career-high 22:59 of ice time and led all forwards with 18:44 at 5-on-5. He also posted the fastest speed burst by any Canuck this season, clocking 23.53 miles per hour in the first period – the fourth fastest speed registered by an NHL forward this season.

But all of this underscores the odd start to the season for DeBrusk. Despite playing as much and as hard as he did against the Blues, he didn’t manage a single shot on goal during the run of play and only had one attempt. This is the same guy who registered 10 shots on goal in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks two weeks ago.

DeBrusk leads the Canucks with 33 shots on goal this season and yet is carrying a 6.1% shooting percentage. That won’t last. It can’t last. He’s due to get on one of his streaks any day now, and the Canucks will welcome it when it arrives.

But more than the goals, DeBrusk needs to find a way to spend more time in the offensive zone. A veteran counted on to be dependable at both ends, the underlying numbers paint a bleak picture of DeBrusk’s start to the season. The Canucks are controlling just 39.5% of all shot attempts with DeBrusk on the ice at 5-on-5. They’ve been outshot 79-56 and outchanced 71-55 so far. And yet through all of that, the team has managed to outscore opponents 5-2 in DeBrusk’s 5-on-5 minutes thanks in large part to a PDO of 106.4. The team’s on-ice save percentage during DeBrusk’s shifts so far this season is an outrageous .975%.

It’s only 12 games, and almost all of DeBrusk’s personal statistics will normalize. He will score more goals and produce more offence than he has in the first 12 games. But he’s also not going to benefit all season from near-perfect netminding every time he steps on the ice.

The bottom line is that DeBrusk needs to do more to have a positive impact on the hockey club. And it has to start happening sooner rather than later. The Canucks escaped the first month of the schedule with a reasonable record, with little in the way of impact from one of the guys they’re counting on.

Last season, in his first year with the Canucks, Jake DeBrusk didn’t score a single goal in October and then rattled off seven in November, starting with a three-game goal streak to begin the month. So he’s been down this road before. And maybe he’ll travel that path again. But this team can’t rely on

Kiefer Sherwood to score all of its goals.

The Canucks could really use Jake DeBrusk to announce his arrival starting on Saturday in Minnesota and hope that the second month of the season is far more productive than the first.

SHOCKING MOVE: C.J. Stroud Just Donated $11.5 Million — But It’s What He Said Next That’s Dividing the Internet!

beyond.

But what truly set social media on fire wasn’t the size of his donation — it was what he said next.

“If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate — give your money away.”

Those 13 words have since echoed through the internet, sparking headlines, heated debates, and even responses from financial commentators and fellow athletes.

A Quarterback With a Mission

Stroud unveiled his donation during a press conference in Houston surrounded by schoolchildren, environmental advocates, and local charities. The Changemaker Program will fund community gardens, food redistribution networks, and renewable energy projects in underserved neighborhoods.

“People are starving in the same cities where billionaires build rockets,” Stroud said, visibly emotional. “That doesn’t sit right with me.”

He explained that part of his initiative’s mission is to

connect youth leadership with sustainability, empowering kids from low-income areas to grow food, study environmental science, and become changemakers themselves.

“Football gives me a platform,” he continued. “But what matters is what I do with it.”

The Internet Erupts

Within minutes of Stroud’s statement, his quote began trending across platforms.
Supporters praised him as a voice of conscience in a money-driven world, while critics accused him of being “naïve about economics.”

On X (formerly Twitter), one fan wrote:

“C.J. Stroud is the kind of leader the world needs — young, successful, and unafraid to challenge greed.”

But another fired back:

“Easy to preach generosity when you make millions playing football. Maybe focus on touchdowns, not billionaires.”

YouTube commentators debated whether Stroud’s words were a moral awakening or a risky political statement. Meanwhile, ESPN and CNBC both aired special segments analyzing the impact of his donation and his daring challenge to the world’s wealthiest.

Why His Words Hit a Nerve

Stroud’s comment came at a moment when public frustration over wealth inequality is soaring.
According to recent data, just 10% of Americans hold nearly 70% of the nation’s wealth — a fact Stroud referenced indirectly when he said,

“You can’t enjoy the game if the stands are empty because people can’t afford to show up.”

Analysts argue that Stroud has tapped into a generational sentiment: athletes are no longer content to just entertain — they want to

lead change.

Sports sociologist Dr. Maria Jenkins noted,

“This isn’t just charity. It’s a cultural statement. Stroud is part of a new wave of athletes using fame to question power structures.”

Teammates and the League React

Inside the Texans locker room, reactions were overwhelmingly positive.
Star wide receiver Tank Dell posted,

“Proud of my brother. He walks the talk every day.”

Head coach DeMeco Ryans called Stroud’s gesture “a reflection of heart and leadership,” adding that “he inspires the team on and off the field.”

Even rival players chimed in. Jalen Hurts

of the Eagles reposted Stroud’s quote with the caption: “Purpose over paychecks.”

However, some league executives reportedly found his comments “too politically charged,” worried they might alienate sponsors or donors who sit among the billionaire class Stroud challenged.

Stroud Responds to the Backlash

Instead of backing down, Stroud addressed the backlash head-on during a follow-up interview.

“I’m not attacking anyone. I’m asking a question we should all think about,” he said. “If you’ve been blessed with that much, why not bless others?”

He went on to emphasize that his goal wasn’t division but action — encouraging collaboration between business leaders and communities to fight hunger and climate change.

“The point isn’t to cancel billionaires,” he clarified. “It’s to remind them — and all of us — that success means nothing if it doesn’t help someone else.”

The Changemaker Vision

The Changemaker Program will roll out in early 2026, with pilot projects in Houston, Cleveland (Stroud’s hometown), and Los Angeles.
Funds will go toward:

Urban farming and food access programs
Renewable energy for low-income communities
Youth scholarships for sustainability and leadership training

Environmental groups like Greenpeace and Feeding America have already expressed interest in partnering with Stroud’s foundation.

“C.J. is turning words into action,” said a Feeding America spokesperson. “This is what modern sports leadership looks like.”

More Than a Donation

Whether you agree with his message or not, there’s no denying that C.J. Stroud has reignited a global conversation — not about touchdowns or trophies, but about values, purpose, and what it means to make a difference.

In a time when fame often comes with silence, Stroud chose to speak — and to give.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s what makes this young quarterback not just a star, but a changemaker.

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