On Tuesday afternoon, the Boston Bruins and the University of Maine announced junior goalie Jeremy Swayman signed a contract and will forgo his senior season in Orono and report to the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League.
The 2020 Walter Brown Award winner just finished a sensational junior season in which he led the nation with 1,099 saves and a 2.07 goals against average with a .939 save percentage, while finishing with an 18-10-5 record and leading Maine to what was scheduled to be their first home league playoff series since 2012.
Swayman is a fourth round pick of the Bruins (#111) in 2017, and inked his entry-level contract on Tuesday in Orono at a closed press conference with limited allowed attendance where his Dad and now former head coach Red Gendron and goalie coach Alfie Michaud were also there to witness the signing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Once the season resumes in Providence, he may be expected to back up Dan Vladar who has been the #1 this season with the baby Bruins sporting a 1.79 GAA and a .936 save percentage. Another prospect Kyle Keyser has been limited to seven games this season due to injury (six with Providence and one with Atlanta of the ECHL). Bostons top goalie Tuuka Rask is signed through the 2020-21 season and has a cap hit of seven million. Backup Jaroslav Halak is an unrestricted free agent this summer. It may be interesting to see how they work the goalie situation for the organization, especially with the Seattle expansion draft coming in the 2021 offseason.
Former Maine Black Bears goalie Jeremy Swayman makes a save at #4 Boston College back on January 25 at Conte Forum. The junior netminder inked a contract to join the Bruins organization on Tuesday, forgoing his senior season in Orono. Photo by Anthony DelMonaco
