Why Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman Feels Like ‘Completely New Goalie’ After Worlds
Nobody would have blamed Jeremy Swayman if he took some time to get away from the rink once the season concluded for the Boston Bruins.
Swayman endured a tough 2024-25 campaign that was well below the standard he set across his first four NHL seasons. The 26-year-old faltered in his first season as Boston’s undeniable No. 1 goalie, posting a career-worst goals-against average (3.11) and save percentage (.892) to go along with a 22-29-7 record.
If Swayman did take time to clear his head, it wasn’t that long of a break because he served as Team USA’s top netminder in their run to a gold medal at the recent IIHF World Championships in Denmark and Sweden.
Swayman was on top of his game during the tournament, winning all seven contests that he was in net while recording a .921 save percentage. He stood tall between the pipes in the gold medal game against Switzerland on Sunday, stopping all 25 shots he faced in a narrow 1-0 victory.
The string of strong performances on the international stage was a good dose of medicine for Swayman after his rough season with the Bruins.
“I couldn’t be happier to be at this tournament, especially based on the year I had,” Swayman said in Sweden, as transcribed by Boston.com’s Conor Ryan. “I feel like a completely new human being and a completely new goalie. The guys in this room have been so incredible for just supporting me, and it’s just been a contagious locker room of joy. I just feel like a completely new human being.”
Swayman’s tournament should be a confidence builder, even though it didn’t come against elite competition, and help send him on the path to a bounce-back season. The Bruins also can draw confidence from it as well, giving them the belief that Swayman will be back to being a standout goalie, which they handed an eight-year, $66 million contract to prior to last season, for the the 2025-26 season.
And the Bruins will need that out of Swayman as they try to rebuild on the fly.