FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Jeremy Swayman’s got some foot speed.
As the clapping of sticks reached a crescendo, the netminder rose from his post-practice stretch, put his head down, and began to zip around the rink, much to the delight of his Black & Gold teammates.
“He’s pretty fast, actually, for a goalie,” said David Pastrnak. “I’m impressed.”
The lap, of course, was a nod to Swayman’s new eight-year contract extension – and a sign that his teammates are more than thrilled to have him back alongside them with the season opener set for Tuesday night in Sunrise.
“I was talking to them throughout the process…they all said, ‘as soon as you return it’s gonna be like nothing. It’s gonna be seamless transition.’ That’s exactly what it was,” Swayman said with a smile following Monday afternoon’s practice at the Panthers’ training facility.
“They all started chanting and clapping their sticks, so as a player you know what that means. I think it was just signing and just getting it over with. A hot lap was necessary.
“It was the fastest lap I’ve ever clocked, I think. I’m excited about that.”
Swayman is also quite excited about where he is at physically, saying that he feels ready to get right back into game action. Coach Jim Montgomery was also impressed with how the backstop looked during practice and said the team remains “undecided” on whether it will be Swayman or Joonas Korpisalo who gets the nod on Tuesday night against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
“[Swayman’s] the potential goalie [Tuesday] night,” said Montgomery. “We’re undecided…it was great [to have him back]. He has so much great energy. I thought that elevated the practice. And I thought he looked sharp.”
Boston’s ace netminder, once again, credited the Boston University men’s team for helping him to remain in the best shape he could while he was away from the Bruins during training camp.
“I feel ready to play,” said Swayman. “I put myself in that position. I’ve had great training over at BU during this training camp. I feel like I’ve put myself in a really good position to be ready to perform when I get my named called.”
When asked if that could be as early as Tuesday night, Swayman said, “I hope so. I would love that.”
“It’s up to the coaching staff,” Swayman added. “I trust them completely and if they feel like I’m ready, they know I am…so that’s what I want to let them to know and they do know that which is a great thing.”
Swayman also expressed how grateful he is after inking a $66 million contract with the Bruins on Sunday morning, while acknowledging the responsibility that comes with it.
“I feel like I’m the luckiest human in the world,” he said. “To be in the position I am, the gratitude is just pouring from everywhere. I know exactly what kind of trust [the Bruins] have in me and expectations they have. I have the same, if not more, expectation to perform and let everyone know that they made the right decision. I love being in this position. I could not be happier.”
