Brandon Prust Surprised By Trade From Montreal To Vancouver

“This is my career, and this is what I do for a living. It’s what I’ve dreamed of doing. I’m super excited to be going to a great city and great organization.”

Free agency and trading is an inevitable part of hockey, but for Brandon Prust, he never thought this past season with the Montreal Canadiens would be his last.

When asked about if he had any feeling that he was going to be traded after exit meetings with the Canadiens, he said, “not at all…It was a pretty positive meeting, and I didn’t think that I was going to be traded.”

While on a trip to Italy where he proposed to his now fiancé, Quebec T.V. personality Maripier Morin, Prust got news that he thought would not be coming this summer: he had been traded to the Vancouver Canucks.

“From a career perspective, and for myself this is a great move for me. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity. This is a business. The other side, the relationship side, and being away from Maripier will obviously be a little different. On a personal level, this is my career and it’s very important. I’m looking forward to coming to Vancouver and doing some great things”

While trades are normal and the players, more often than not, don’t get a lot of say, Prust was slightly blindsided by his sudden departure from his role in Montreal. He was getting ready to leave for dinner on his last night in Italy when he got the news.

“I was kind of following along on Twitter, seeing some of the signings and the moves [in the league] when I see a call from Marc Bergevin,” Prust said about how he found out about the trade. “I saw that name on the phone, I was like, ‘alright, something is going on here’.”

Brandon Prust

Prust, who still had a year left on his four-year contract with the Canadiens,  understands the way things work in hockey, and that it really is more than just going somewhere new to play.

“It is a business and this stuff happens; guys get moved all the time. With the salary cap right now, sometimes it’s all about numbers. There is nothing we can do. You can’t really sit back and wish that you were treated with a little more loyalty.”

Prust, who turned 31 in March, is considered more on the older side for hockey players. Many questioned his age and whether or not that would be effecting his play.

“I don’t show any signs of slowing down. I’m [going to] work my butt off this summer, to make sure that I go into camp next year in the best shape I’ve ever been in and make sure I continue to turn heads”

“For me, I’m excited. I’m looking forward to it.”

Vancouver General Manager, Jim Benning, said that getting rid of Kevin Bieksa meant the team needed a physical, and tough player, and Brandon Prust is that perfect fit.

“This is a great team; great goaltending. We’ve got a lot of good players and a lot of young guys that are going to be great players,” Prust said about his excitement for his new team. “I’ve obviously done some research the last couple days, looking up what we’ve got. It’s a pretty impressive lineup. I think we’re going to do a lot of good things”

Prust plays with character, and though he might get on opponents nerves, he’s the type of guy that boosts the morale of a team. With Vancouver losing Bieksa, Prust will be the best guy to fill that role.

“At my best,[I can bring] just showing up every night and working your butt off and creating some energy for the boys. Always keeping the guys going. Sticking up for teammates. Obviously, the fighting part will always be there, but doing everything that got me here. Killing penalties and just being a positive role out there. With me, it’s just meat and potatoes. I think the Vancouver fans will see quickly what they are going to get.”

Things happen, and Brandon Prust is very aware of that.

“I don’t really try to plan my hockey career, I just let it happen”

Prust set a career high in points during the 2014-2015 playoffs with 4 points in 12 games. He played in 82 games total with 18 points (4 G, 14 A) in the 2014-2015 regular season with the Canadiens.

I am very excited to be apart of another great organization @VanCanucks Can't wait to bring a Stanley Cup to that beautiful city! See u soon

— Brandon Prust (@BrandonPrust8) July 1, 2015