Bruins
“Each time Toronto got here up, we had been like, ‘Alright, perhaps we’ll get a name.’”
In two full seasons within the NHL ranks, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman has developed into one of the crucial promising netminders within the NHL.
However at one level, the 24-year-old Swayman thought he was going to be enjoying for one of many Bruins’ prime rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Throughout an look on the “Empty Netters” Podcast final week, Swayman famous that he stored his choices open whereas watching the 2017 NHL Draft from his residence in Alaska.
“I used to be sitting at my breakfast desk with my dad, we had been 4 hours behind in Alaska,” Swayman stated of his resolution to not attend the draft in individual. “I knew I wasn’t going within the first spherical with it being my first 12 months eligible for the draft. There was lots of hope, however I used to be a C-rated prospect, so it wasn’t essential [to go to the draft.]
Regardless that Swayman was not tabbed as one of many prime goalies anticipated to be plucked off the draft board, he did entertain numerous NHL scouts and different expertise evaluators whereas enjoying within the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League throughout the 2015-16 season.
One membership that frequently kicked the tires on the younger goalie had been the Maple Leafs. And with Toronto in want of reinforcements between the pipes, Swayman’s agent thought that the Authentic Six franchise was going to come back calling in some unspecified time in the future within the latter rounds.
“I received a textual content from my agent saying, ‘I do know Toronto was scorching on you throughout the 12 months. So simply be by your telephone,’” Swayman stated, including. “So each time Toronto got here up, we had been like, ‘Alright, perhaps we’ll get a name.’”
However when Toronto landed on the clock within the fourth spherical, it opted to pick one other goalie, Ian Scott.
“The fourth spherical got here and Toronto was up [at] 110 they usually picked a goalie,” Swayman stated. “It was like ‘Alright, perhaps not this 12 months,’ that sort of factor. Form of bummed however on the identical time hopeful nonetheless trigger I talked to different groups.”
However Swayman didn’t have to attend very lengthy for one more Authentic Six crew to come back calling. Only one choose after Toronto chosen Scott, the Bruins chosen Swayman with the 111th total choose.
Due to some poor Wi-Fi points on the Swayman abode, the Bruins goalie admitted that he solely acquired information of his choice by his pal, who referred to as him whereas in attendance on the draft in Chicago.
“I get a textual content and it’s from my buddy really from Alaska,” Swayman recalled. “He was on the draft and he stated, ‘Congrats Sway!’ and I’m like ‘What?’”
After lastly getting phrase from each his agent and the Bruins, Swayman famous that each he and his household had been in a position to rejoice all day, provided that it was nonetheless the early morning in Alaska when he formally received phrase.
“We had a fairly good celebration. It was completely sudden, which is the good half,” Swayman stated. “I believe since you’re so devastated for one second and the subsequent second it’s like a brand new world opens up. That was a fairly cool expertise to share with them, and I’m glad it turned out the way in which it did.”
The Bruins haven’t regretted the choice to take Swayman within the fourth spherical. In 88 profession video games up within the NHL, Swayman is 54-23-7 with a 2.24 GAA and a .920 save share.
After being awarded a one-year, $3.475 million contract following an arbitration listening to earlier this month, Swayman is predicted to kind one of many prime goalie tandems within the league alongside Linus Ullmark throughout the 2023-24 season.
In the meantime, Ian Scott didn’t pan out for the Maple Leafs with the one hundred and tenth choose. The Calgary native fought accidents and solely made two appearances within the AHL ranks earlier than saying his retirement from professional hockey final July.
This isn’t the primary time that the Bruins have benefitted from the Maple Leafs in relation to plucking potential franchise goalies from their rival’s grasp. Famously, Tuukka Rask was chosen by Toronto with the twenty first total choose within the 2005 NHL Draft, solely to be dealt to Boston in June 2006 in change for fellow goalie Andrew Raycroft.
The remainder, as they are saying, is historical past.
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