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Greg Wyshynski, ESPNOct 3, 2024, 09:00 AM ET
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
Restricted free agent goalie Jeremy Swayman, currently in a contentious contract standoff with Boston, said he would do “everything in my power to be a Bruin for a long time” on the NHL’s new Amazon Prime Video docuseries.
Swayman is featured in Episode 3 of “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL,” which chronicles the Boston Bruins‘ six-game Stanley Cup playoffs loss to the Florida Panthers last season. Swayman makes it clear he’d like to remain with the Bruins, as restricted free agency looms.
“I mean, I don’t want it to end,” he said on the show. “[This] could be the last time I wear a Bruins jersey. I know I’m going to do everything in my power to be a Bruin for a long time. As a kid growing up in Alaska, this was in my wildest f—ing dreams. I never want it to end. I’m just so grateful that the sun’s going to rise tomorrow and there’s another opportunity to get better.
“Whatever I can do to help this team win. I know everything else will take care of itself.”
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The Bruins anointed Swayman, 25, as their primary starting goaltender when they traded tandem-mate Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in June. But they were unable to sign Swayman to a new contract. Swayman declined to report to Bruins training camp without a deal.
The relationship between the goalie’s camp and the team has grown contentious. The Bruins said on Monday that Joonas Korpisalo, acquired for Ullmark, is the likely starter for their season opener on Oct. 8. At that same news conference, team president Cam Neely said he was surprised by Swayman’s asking price.
“I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is,” he said, “but I know that I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now.”
Swayman’s agent, Lewis Gross, claimed the Bruins never offered that sum during their talks and expressed disappointment in the team for discussing their talks in public.
“We are extremely disappointed. This was not fair to Jeremy,” Gross said.
This isn’t the first contentious contract negotiation between Swayman and the Bruins. In 2023, they went to salary arbitration, with Swayman being awarded a one-year, $3.75 million contract. On the Amazon Prime Show, Swayman says that process was difficult for him.
“When you go into that room, you don’t say a word,” he said. “My arbitrator started first, said all of these great things. The arbitrator on their side … their job is to help the management side and to rip players. Hearing that you’re not worthy of what you think you’re worthy of, that was hard to hear. You don’t forget what was said.”
The Bruins goalie said he wrote down every criticism he heard during the hearing into a checklist that he would refer to during the season.
“My biggest knock was that I wasn’t trustworthy in the playoffs. Check,” said Swayman, motioning a checkmark with his hand.
The goalie had a 6-6 record with a .215 goals-against average and an NHL-best .933 save percentage in the 2024 postseason. But the Bruins lost in the second round to the Panthers, the same team that eliminated them the previous postseason.
“It’s disgusting to think about that I’m not going to raise a Stanley Cup over my head this year. The way I will get to do that is to turn the page and take positives and start working towards next year,” Swayman said.
