When Marco Sturm took over as head coach of the Boston Bruins, everyone was looking for a clean slate. For many members of the Bruins who were around in the 2024-25 season, that was welcomed.
One of those players who was looking for a fresh start was goalie Jeremy Swayman. The former University of Maine standout had a season to forget last season. He missed training camp with his contract holdout, his numbers were bad, and the new AAV of $8.25 million wasn't looking like money well spent. However, Sturm had other ideas for the top netminder.
Bruins coach Marco Sturm had a message for Jeremy Swayman before 2025-26 season began
Honestly, there was no way to go but up for Swayman after last season. He was looking for redemption, and he got it. He had a stellar regular season and was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy on Wednesday. He has been so good in the playoffs through five games that if his offense supplied him more goals and his defense played better, they could be up 3-2 or even have won the series by now, instead of facing a 3-2 series deficit going into Friday night's Game 6.
So, what did Sturm tell Swayman prior to this season?
"Our conversation was very clear,'' said Sturm. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk about what happened. I didn't really give a shit. ... We're gonna move forward."
Message sent, message received. Swayman has been good all season long, and when he hasn't been, he's bounced-back and been good. You could count on one hand how many times this season he's had multiple rough outings. That's what a goalie with an $8.25 million AAV is supposed to do.
Other players have bounce-back seasons or have had career seasons for the Black and Gold. Sure, the Bruins might not be here without them, but Swayman has been the biggest story all season long. Maybe Sturm can have more conversations with other players before the 2026-27 season.
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