[sureLoss]

Blames the downslide of his hockey career on his father. Claims his father took most of the money he made with Edmonton and even threatened to release private photos. Also claims the Oilers pressured him into taking medication to help deal with his depression (and claims the medication made the problem worse).

http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=8668967

Brule was depressed about his fractured relationship with his father, Chris Brule — a man, who until recently, had been heavily involved in his son’s career, even long before he became a star with the Giants.


The medications Gilbert was on seemed to exacerbate the problem.
Brule says he entrusted his father with the care of the money he had worked so hard for, with the understanding that he was building a company for him.
Instead, he says his dad was doing something else with the money, something that ended poorly.


“Basically, he was taking money from me,” Brule said last week before one of his rigorous workouts aimed at getting his hockey career back on track, as the 26-year-old, free-agent centre is looking for a tryout with an NHL team this fall.

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Brule’s talked his issues through with a couple of professionals, and he’s seeing a sports psychologist to seek improvement in his performance. The problem first reared its head in earnest when Brule was with the Oilers, and he got down over the fallout from the broken relationship with his dad.


“I went to see a therapist, who prescribed temporary medication, and I really don’t believe in taking drugs for a problem like that. I thought it should have been dealt with in a different way. But the Oilers wanted me back on the ice as soon as possible. It’s a business and I understand that, and I’m not trying to throw the Oilers under the bus; they reacted as any team would and should.


“But the medication didn’t make me better, it made it worse. And all the while I was trying to play through this. Now I’ve talked those issues through, my head is clear, I feel good. It’s actually fun again to be on the ice. That’s the thing with my father. I’m really happy and grateful that he got me into hockey, it’s just that any regular relationship with him while I’m playing isn’t going to work.”