Alex DeBrincat writes emotional letter to Chicago originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
In a letter titled “Chicago,” written by ex-Blackhawk Alex DeBrincat for the Players Tribune, the beloved winger poured his heart out explaining his time in Chicago, his appreciation for the team/city and his feelings after being traded to the Ottawa Senators. in the offseason.
The biggest appreciation DeBrincat has for the city of Chicago and the Blackhawks was this – no one asked him to be someone different than who he is.
Despite his size – 5-foot-7, 165 pounds – the Blackhawks didn’t ask him to play differently. In amateurs, DeBrincat was a scorer. He always has been. When he got to the NHL, he thought he might have to add a different wrinkle to his game.
The Blackhawks didn’t think so.
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DeBrincat shared a story about how the Blackhawks encouraged him to stick to what he knows. In turn, Patrick Kane stayed with him after practice to practice shooting and one-timers.
“Kaner and I stayed on the ice and just sent one-timers back-and-forth for a bit and he helped me feel comfortable pretty quickly,” DeBrincat wrote. “And we basically did that in nearly every practice for the next five years. I think he wanted me to just be me.”
Because of this, and a plethora of other reasons – including his five spectacular seasons in Chicago, racking up 307 points (160 goals, 147 assists) – Chicago “will always — always — hold a special place in my family’s heart.”
His son was born here and he spent the first five years of his NHL career in Chicago.
So when general manager Kyle Davidson called him and told him the organization planned to trade him to the Senators, it was difficult for the young star to handle.
“I know I’m not that young of a player anymore — I’ve been around for a bit,” DeBrincat wrote. “And I know hockey is a business. But I guess I didn’t indeed know until I got a call from the GM and he said the organization was moving in a different direction and I wasn’t going to be part of it. And I understood. I did. But one minute Lyndsey [DeBricant’s wife] and I are planning out our lives in Chicago with Archie [DeBricant’s son]and then the next we’re folding boxes and trying to move to a different country.
“That’s just the reality. I’m not asking for sympathy or anything. It’s just an emotional thing. I was ready to be a Blackhawk for a long time and be part of turning the ship around. I felt like I could have offered a lot in the future, but they didn’t see it like that and that’s all right. It’s not the first time a team hasn’t seen me the way I see me.”
DeBrincat has to prepare to be the new kid again. He has to learn a new system, build new chemistry with teammates and adjust to living in a new country. But, he ascertains everything is going well for him on the other side of the border.
If one’s thing’s certain with DeBrincat, he’s going to continue to play with a chip on his shoulder and he’s going to play the way he knows how to play, by being himself.
But, he’ll never forget his time in Chicago and he’s thankful for how it helped kickstart his career.
“Thank you Hawks fans, for everything,” DeBricant concluded.
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