Jeremy Swayman was the first player introduced during the Bruins’ home opener on Thursday night, and he received a warm welcome from the crowd.
The Boston fans showed no hard feelings about the contract dispute that kept him from training camp until he signed a $66 million contract on Sunday, just two days before the season began.
“It’s such an incredible thing to be back playing and in this building again. It’s a boatload of gratitude,” Swayman said after making 21 saves to help the Bruins win 6-4 against the Montreal Canadiens.
“It was pretty emotional to get that warm welcome,” he added. “It shows what kind of fan base we have here. They care about more than just the player; they care about the person. I got really emotional stepping on that ice and hearing that roar again.”
Swayman allowed a couple of goals in the first period and two more in the third, which brought Montreal within one goal at 5-4 after Brendan Gallagher scored again with 4:17 left. Mark Kastelic quickly scored 17 seconds later to secure the win.
Swayman also gave Montreal forward Nick Suzuki a small shove to push him out of the crease at the end of the second period, but the linesman quickly came in to separate them.
“It’s kind of my inertia going that way. So I needed a little balance help there,” Swayman joked. “I have different ways of getting into the game—being vocal with my teammates, talking to the refs, and bringing my swagger and calmness to the building. I know that’s when I play my best.”
Swayman was the backup to Linus Ullmark during Boston’s record-setting 2022-23 season. The two shared the starting role last year, with Swayman making 43 regular-season starts and averaging 2.53 goals against before winning the No. 1 spot in the playoffs.
As a restricted free agent, Swayman missed all of training camp before signing an eight-year deal worth $8.25 million per year, placing him among the top five goalies in the NHL for average annual value.
He had only one practice with the team before the season opener, and backup Joonas Korpisalo played, allowing six goals in Tuesday’s 6-4 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida. As the Panthers built a 5-1 lead, their fans chanted, “We want Swayman!”
“They’re going to do their tactics to be a part of the game, and they did a good job of that,” Swayman said. “I want to play every game. I want to be in the net every chance I can get. So I’m excited to get that opportunity.”
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery mentioned that he liked what he saw from Swayman, noting that some of the goals were due to defensive mistakes. “Jeremy Swayman was good,” he said. “He made the saves that he could.”
