The Bruins have found themselves in a situation where most teams never hope to end up -- starting their fourth-string goalie against a team they're battling against for a playoff berth. Luckily for Boston, their fourth-string netminder is Jeremy Swayman.
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy will send Swayman on the ice for his NHL debut Tuesday night in Philadelphia, with Tuukka Rask not slated to to return until later in the week at the earliest due to an upper-body injury, Jaroslav Halak sidelined in COVID protocol, and Dan Vladar taking a seat as the backup after he played into overtime in Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Flyers.
Since this week may be the first time you’re hearing the name “Jeremy Swayman,” let’s go through what you need to know about the netminder before he hits the ice on Tuesday night.
In his nine starts for the Providence Bruins this season, the 22-year-old has an 8-1-0 record and one shutout. In his first season in the league, he is third in the AHL in both save percentage (.933) and goals-against average (1.89).
Last year, the 6-foot-3 goaltender from Anchorage, Alaska was a Hobey Baker Award finalist at the University of Maine. He was second among all Division I goalies with a .939 save percentage that season and won the NCAA’s 2020 Mike Richter Award for the best collegiate goaltender.
Swayman, who will wear No. 1 on his jersey for Boston -- the same number he has worn at other levels -- was the 2019-20 Hockey East Player of the Year, and the first goalie ever to win that honor.
What fellow goalie Dan Vladar thinks:
“He’s a great goalie, so if he’s going to get the chance I’m pretty sure he’s going to do well and he’s going to leave it all out there,” Vladar said about Swayman on Monday night. “I'm pretty sure he has the same mentality like me, he just wants to save every single puck and he wants to win.”
Vladar also mentioned why he thinks the Bruins have a particular advantage when it comes to transitioning goalies from Providence to Boston.
“I think we have a pretty good relationship with the whole goalie union here, even with goalie coaches and staff. I think that’s kind of like the strength for our organization because everybody’s just cheering for each other and I don't think it really matters if this goalie is playing or that goalie is playing.”
What Bruce Cassidy expects from Swayman in a Boston Bruins uniform:
Ahead of the Bruins’ game Tuesday in Philadelphia, Cassidy explained that Swayman should be NHL ready.
“I think every kid’s dreamed about this opportunity, so he’s getting his. He’s played well in Providence,” Cassidy said. “He’s gotten some good reps, gotten some game situations, been up here for practice, so hopefully he’s up to the task.”
Cassidy almost made the decision to start Swayman over Vladar back when Vladar got his first NHL start in Pittsburgh on March 16. “There was a long discussion about it.”
“Swayman is going to get starts anyway, might be more than one. In back-to-backs we typically use different guys, so that's the thinking.”
As for his evaluation of what is encouraging about Swayman’s play up to this point in his career, Cassidy said, “For me, it's he’s going in there, he's had a really good resume in college obviously, and he’s done really well in Providence.”
He also expects the players around Swayman to take some of the pressure off of him in his first game.
“I think we’re the type of team that plays with good layers in front of our goaltender so we’re not typically asking our goaltender to go out and win us games," Cassidy said. "Hopefully if there’s some good chances that we clear the second one. That's how we are structured defensively. And understand that this is his first start and hopefully the guys around him are talking to him and are a little more dialed in with puck play, details, talking, all of those little things that a goalie’s not used to with players.
“Those are the things you want to keep and eye on. As for stopping the puck, that’s just up to Sway to play to the best of his abilities and do what he’s done his whole life.”
Cassidy suggested Swayman could start in net again later in the week if Rask and/or Halak aren't back yet.
“You know you're going to get your first game sooner or later, so here we are in the middle of a busy week, and he knows he might go right back in there if Tuukka and Jaro aren't ready.”
Other facts about the newest Bruins starter in net:
- Swayman was selected by Boston in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft with the 111th overall pick.
- He played three seasons at the University of Maine as the team's primary starter.
- Swayman won a bronze medal with team USA at the 2018 World Juniors (though he only saw action in one game in the tournament).
- In his final year (his junior year) of college hockey, Swayman led Hockey East in saves (782) and save percentage (.932).
- The junior’s 782 saves in conference action was the 10th-most of any goaltender in Hockey East history and the highest single-season total in 10 years.
- Last year Swayman had an 18-11-5 record and led the NCAA in saves with 1,099 stops.
- He hikes, backpacks, golfs, fishes, and rock climbs in his spare time, according to his University of Maine bio.