BRIGHTON, Mass. — If the Boston Bruins are going to rebound from their disparaging 2024-25 campaign, then Jeremy Swayman will have to be a much improved goalie. 

If he is or not remains to be seen. The start of the season is just over a month away, and training camp hasn’t even begun yet. 

But as the Bruins ramp up towards the start of the new season with captain’s practices this week at Warrior Ice Arena, Swayman insists, at the very least, that he’s a changed man. 

“I’m a completely different human being,” Swayman said Thursday. “That’s a testament to the experience that I gained throughout my career to this point. I’m so grateful for that, the ups and downs of it all. Standing here, Jeremy Swayman is in a great spot, and I’m really excited about that.” 

The biggest difference is that Swayman will be a full participant in training camp. Last year, the goalie missed the entirety of camp while engaged in a very public, and very ugly set of negotiations with the organization over a new contract.

Jeremy Swayman says he’s a “completely different human being” compared to this time last year. pic.twitter.com/hMUJpE7F9w

— Andrew Fantucchio (@A_Fantucchio) September 4, 2025

He did eventually sign an eight-year, $66 million extension. But not until right before the start of the regular season, which ended with the Bruins missing the playoffs, and Swayman registering the worst numbers of his career in his first year as the team’s full-time starting netminder.

But lessons are only learned through failure, and Swayman says he has indeed learned his. 

“It’s an extremely important time of year,” said Swayman. “If I didn’t have that experience last year, then I probably wouldn’t understand the importance of it. It’s definitely allowed me to prepare a little bit differently coming into training camp this time. Being in this locker room, I’m just [exuding] love to everyone because I missed them at this time of year last year. I’m grateful for it. I’m just going to ride that high and make sure everyone’s feeling that love.”

Swayman comes into camp riding a wave of momentum following his strong performance at the IIHF World Championship over the summer. There, he started registered a 1.69 save percentage and a .921 save percentage across seven appearances, helping Team USA win its first gold medal at the event in 92 years.

“That tournament, for me personally, was a great cap to a year that I wanted better from,” Swayman said. “To just let it all go and just play my game again, I found a lot. It couldn’t have been possible without the staff, the team that we had there, the boys, and obviously the support from the entire country. I was really excited to get that. I rode that high throughout summer and obviously into this season.”

READ MORE: Nikita Zadorov Vows To Help Bruins Return To Previous Standard

Even still, this season isn’t expected to be a particularly good one in Boston. 

While it would be hard for them to replicate last season’s misery, the Bruins project to be, at best, a fringe wild card team. 

The offseason additions of scrappy veterans, who were brought in to bolster internal competition at the bottom of the roster, left much to be desired, and little faith among fans that a return to the playoffs is on the horizon. 

Nevertheless, the Bruins themselves believe. 

“We have an endless belief mindset, and that’s got to be set from day one. We can’t go into the future or predict what’s going to happen. But the thing is that we can control is what we control. Control right here, right now. How we’re practicing, how we’re training and getting ourselves prepared for an NHL season. I’m going to take it day by day, and I know that we all will. When we find success, we’re going to roll with it.”

But who knows, maybe there is more to these Bruins on the ice than what’s on paper. 

If there is, it’ll start and end with Swayman.

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