Following his dramatic decision on Tuesday to return to the Vancouver Canucks right as free agency began, Brock Boeser spent time with his family, attending his nephew`s baseball game, a typical activity in Minnesota.
A larger celebration was planned for Wednesday evening. After his former teammate and friend Troy Stecher arrived for the weekend, Boeser intended to take his girlfriend, mother, sister, brother, and brother`s family, along with Stecher, for dinner.
Speaking from his lake house near the Twin Cities, Boeser shared their plans: “We`re taking the boat to a lakeside restaurant for dinner,” he said, describing it as their celebration.
Boeser`s deep connection to his family is a key factor explaining his surprising choice to re-sign with the Canucks just as NHL free agency commenced.
Having spent his entire career with the Canucks, the 28-year-old forward had mentally prepared for the possibility of moving on, especially after ongoing contract extension negotiations hadn`t progressed for months.
Possessing both intelligence and strong emotions, Boeser intellectually grasped that hockey is a business and that leaving Vancouver after eight seasons for another team was a potential outcome.
But his intuition or deep feeling strongly resisted the idea of leaving. “My heart was still in Vancouver,” Boeser explained, summarizing his emotional tie to the city and team.
