Bruins' Jake DeBrusk received death threats from Maple Leafs fans
Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk was banged up when he took a Nazem Kadri cross-check to the face in Game 2 of the playoffs, but the real scars from that incident came after the fact.
Kadri was suspended for his actions, but DeBrusk had to deal with his share of the fallout as well. Appearing on a Boston radio show Thursday morning, DeBrusk revealed that he and his family received countless death threats from upset Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
Jake DeBrusk just told us that both he and his family members received death threats ("too many to count") from Maple Leafs fans throughout their series with Toronto. Said there were too many to report. #Bruins
— Toucher and Rich (@Toucherandrich) April 25, 2019
“Mostly around Game 3. The fact [the Kadri incident] happened in Game 2 and we were going into Toronto for Game 3, I was getting death threats consistently,” DeBrusk said. “My family members told me they were getting death threats as well.”
DeBrusk deleted his social media accounts in an effort to tune out the threats, and he says support from his teammates really helped carry him through the difficult situation.
“I think the guys in the room here really took me in and helped me kind of get over that,” DeBrusk told reporters after Bruins practice Thursday. “You know we have some guys that have had some similar reactions over their times. They really helped me, and I think the best way to go about that is that we won the series and we don’t have to deal with [the Leafs] for at least another year.”
📹 Jake DeBrusk discusses the death threats that he and his family received during the Toronto series. pic.twitter.com/2bM9MVkbU0
— Bruins Daily (@BruinsDaily) April 25, 2019
Kadri, who was also suspended during last year’s seven-game playoff series between the Leafs and Bruins, addressed the incident at Toronto’s season-ending media availability Thursday. The 28-year-old claims he was trying to stick up for teammate Patrick Marleau after DeBrusk threw a questionable hit of his own on the Leafs veteran. Kadri said he was attempting to jab DeBrusk on the arm, but connected with his face instead.
Kadri on DeBrusk: “I was not intending to get him in the face. That’s completely not in my character. Had that been the case, there would’ve been more substantial damage there. I was unsatisfied with the hit on Patty obviously, a bit of a dangerous play. I just wanted to ... "
— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) April 25, 2019
" ... give him one of those shots in the arm, let him know that I wasn’t okay with it. Unfortunately, I caught him high. I have to be accountable. A bit of a bone-headed play. Ultimately in doing the right thing for my teammates , I ended up doing the wrong thing.”
— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) April 25, 2019
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