Brock Boeser shares his first thoughts after re-signing with the Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks struggled to start last season and it ultimately cost them a playoff spot. Fans turned on the players, the coaches and the organization. During that process it seemed that fans forgot about the human element. When Brock Boeser wasn't himself last season, both the media and fans criticized him but they would soon find out what Boeser was dealing with. Boeser was struggling not just on the ice but off it as well.

Brock eventually shared that his father was very ill and ultimately ended up passing away on May, 27th. In an interview with the media Saturday Brock would look back on his father saying:

It's crazy to say out loud. There were times where I was just mentally exhausted and mentally drained, and I felt that a lot. Just all the stress. It sounds really messed up but when I did get injured again, I'm not going to lie, it was almost relief because I was so mentally tired. I think it really affected me.

I wish I could have been so much better last season. You never know, if I score five or six more goals maybe we're in the playoffs. I think about things like that and it eats at me for sure.

I'm moving forward and taking things a day at a time but after everything, these last two weeks, I've been really thinking about hockey, shifting my focus to that. I've been sitting here thinking: I can't wait for the season to start. Now that this deal is done, I'm just so excited. And like I said, I know I have a lot to prove. It's going to be a different year for me mentally and that's exciting.

I'm really happy. We all knew the (arbitration) deadline was today; I don't think any of us really wanted to go down that route, especially after everything that has happened. They really believe in me and I feel that strongly. Just the whole three-year thing, I think it's a good opportunity for me after everything that's happened to just look ahead and really get to focus on hockey here and just show everyone what I can do and know I can do.

Looking back at this year, I still had 23 goals with the heaviest weight on my shoulders. Just to not have that weight . . . I mean, there's still something there but it's a little different now. I know I have a lot to prove, and I think I'm really driven to show everyone what I can do.

Since Brock's father has passed away Brock shared his mother has been staying with him.

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«I've been there a couple times and it's pretty weird,» Brock said. «It's really quiet. So I think maybe just selling it and starting fresh with a new, smaller place . . . we'll figure it out. One day at a time, but it's slowly starting to get a little bit better.»

Brock would also talk about all the fan support he's received:

«It's been overwhelming ever since my breakdown with the media,» he said. «I've gotten so many messages . people reaching out. There's so many people out there saying they totally understand what we're going through; they have a relative or a father or mother that has dementia.

«It was overwhelming with all the support from all the Canucks fans throughout the whole time. And even the last couple years, everyone has really had my back through it all. They've been so supportive of my dad. In his last couple days, I was telling my dad in his ear how much support he's got and how everyone was thinking of him and sending him texts and stuff. I know he definitely heard. It always meant a lot to him and our whole family.»