Jacobs: “Good morning, everybody. This is an exciting time, we're kicking off our 2024-25 season a week from today our charter is headed to Florida to kick off the season and there's a lot of excitement around this team. I thought, personally, and I will share this openly, I feel that Don [Sweeney] and Cam [Neely] have done an excellent job this off season in acquiring some great talent, some very exciting players, specifically in [Elias] Lindholm and [Nikita] Zadorov. We have a lot of things to also be excited about. We have a new voice for the Boston Bruins in Judd Sirott who has done an excellent job from the games I've heard to date, and it's a culmination of our centennial season. We kicked off in August 100 days of hockey, and there are clinics and different sorts of hockey events every day within New England leading up to our game on December first. I should mention, on a personal note, I'm very sad to hear of Eddie Anderson's passing on Saturday. For those of you who don't know, Eddie [Anderson] brought American League Hockey to Providence, Rhode Island back.... Gosh, 30/32 years ago, I suppose. I was fortunate enough one of the very first years of the Providence Bruins being in existence to work for Eddie. I have some very fond memories of him and my condolences go out to his extended family, especially his wife Linda. In advance of any questions that you may have, I wanted to get in front and just let you know that I have been in constant communication with Don and with Cam about the Jeremy Swayman contract negotiations. Don can clarify in his remarks regarding how those are going, but I just want to be very clear that we're in a state of constant communication regarding Jeremy [Swayman], and our hope is that he's on the ice as soon as possible. With that, I'll hand this over to Cam.”
Neely: “Thanks, Charlie. I too want to send my condolences to Eddie's [Anderson] family. You know, sad loss for the hockey community and what he did for Providence and hockey and the American Hockey League. I'm excited about this year. I really am. I think Don and his staff did a fantastic job this off-season in identifying needs that we felt we were lacking to go for a deep run in the playoffs. I'm excited about our coaching staff with the addition of Jay Leach, I think we've got a great staff, one of the best in the league. I think our record has shown that in the regular season. Now it's just up to us to make it happen in the playoffs. I'm excited about this season, excited about wrapping up the centennial year with our game on December first against Montreal. It'll be a big exciting game for everybody, but more importantly, looking forward to this season and getting ourselves geared up for the playoffs.”
Sweeney: “Thanks, Cam. I will also echo the sentiments to Ed Anderson and his family, my time with Ed goes back to being a player and also in management. Just a great person, first and foremost, but what he's done for the American Hockey League and in conjunction with the development says a lot about Ed as a person and his commitment. I want to thank Charlie [Jacobs] and Cam in terms of their support in what we had set forth this summer, I clearly haven't ticked off the one box that I'm sure will get discussed about today and I don't have a definitive update in any way other than where I was with Jeremy, continued consistent communication with his representatives, but we still have a gap to bridge and we're going to try and continue to do that. To both Cam and Charlie's point in where we all feel our team is positioned and the camp that we've had thus far, we have some work to do on integrating some guys that have missed some time, but we're excited about that. And that was specifically in some of the decisions we made as early as yesterday, with the intent for Monty [Jim Montgomery] to get in front of a couple of really, really solid practices, the group that he wants to put forth Tuesday night, to get the reps that he wants and then we'll reevaluate from there. Some of these players that people have referenced camp is over with is not true. You know, we still have some evaluation stuff to go through and we'll continue to do that, but we're really excited about... we get the group finally on the ice, albeit it hasn't been quite as much as we would like. We're excited about the potential of our group and the work that Monty and staff has done thus far.”
Montgomery: “Thank you all for being here today. I’ve got to say, I'm glad to have some backup up here with you guys today. These are foxhole guys that I'd be in a foxhole with any day. I'm just looking at how camp's going, and yesterday was our best practice at camp. Just the pace and the purpose and the intensity and effort were what we need as we look forward to the opportunity of the regular season starting here in nine days. That's where my focus is, is continuing to finalize these last what we have is three practices, three games left before we get going for real. And the opportunity with the additions that Don and Cam added during the off-season gets us really excited about what the Bruins are going to be this year.”
On Swayman being unsigned with a week left in camp...
Sweeney: “Well, I think our staff has done a really good job of recognizing the players that are here and that that's where the focus has been. And you know, Bob Essensa has worked, as I referenced early in camp, that he would work extensively with all of our goaltenders, but he feels comfortable with the work thus far that [Joonas] Korpisalo has put in, the game that he's played thus far and Monty will probably comment further in terms of what his plans and decisions will be moving forward. I mean, we're getting late enough into camp that it's unlikely that Jeremy would be in a position. But, you know, today's a new day to continue to have a discussion and hopefully bridge the gaps that still exist.”
Montgomery: “And I would piggyback on that and say where we are in camp right now with how well camp has gone, how well Korpisalo has done is right now, he's going to be our game one starter.”
On Linus Ullmark trade happening before Jeremy Swayman’s negotiations...
Sweeney: No, again, we made a decision to chart a course... both goaltenders had asked to play 55 games. That's not possible if you're playing on the same team. So we decided to make a decision, and we felt comfortable with Jeremy moving forward, we knew what the likelihood of a return was going to be in terms of discussions I'd had around the league on Linus [Ullmark], made a very difficult decision because Linus had been an outstanding Bruin. And how we were building out our team, that's just the areas that we were going to target as a result of that. And I don't regret that decision one bit in terms of the decision we made to move forward and attack some of the areas that we felt we could benefit from in the free agent market and also for some players that were coming through the system. So that's the direction we took, and the two are not connected in that sense. Jeremy is taking his position, I respect his position and to some degree, he probably respects ours. We just have a gap to fill and it was also the intention to have a goaltender of Joonas's [Korpisalo] level in the discussions we had around the league again and/or going to free agency to fill that spot that we would feel comfortable in this position. You know, ultimately, we're a better team, as I've said all along if Jeremy is part of our hockey club, that's my intention, that's my wish and I'll continue to work to do that. You know, I think Jeremy and the team are both hurt in this regard and that's what I'll do. I'll just try and work hard to find a settlement point.”
On Fabian Lysell...
Sweeney: “Again, I referenced the camp is not over with, in all likelihood we're going to evaluate after tomorrow night's game, what the lineup looks like for Thursday and there will be several players that will come back and play whether that’s Thursday or Saturday. So camp is not over. The evaluation process really never ends. We had Fabian [Lysell] in situations in camp where he got reps with different players. Obviously, the game lineups, some nights early in camp look a little differently, but that's what going to Madison Square Garden against 13 or 14 NHL guys, what those guys look like when they're playing against NHL players. And there's the evaluation side of it. The consistency piece, everybody sees the skill set that Fabian has, and we're excited about it. Now we continue to allow him to fill in the gaps in terms of building a team game that Monty feels is a big part of what the Bruins to have success is, and all young players go through that process. But he'll get another opportunity and hopefully he takes advantage of it.”
Montgomery: I don't think there's much more to add than what Don said about the whole situation.”
On Jeremy Swayman contract negotiations...
Jacobs: “Well, I can't speak for Jeremy. I can speak for ownership to say that we will spend to the cap and we have spent the cap virtually every year. Management has informed me that they need a little bit of wiggle room in case of an injury or two. As you know what NHL minimum salaries look like these days...that might be the delta of where we're at here. But as far as any personal one player is concerned, I try not to get caught in the weeds of that. I certainly don't begrudge somebody for a big paycheck. We're writing a big one ourselves to make sure that we have a winning club on the ice.”
On what Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov bring to the team...
Neely: “Well, Elias [Lindholm], I mean, his 200-foot game is remarkable. I mean, I don't want to put him at the Patrice [Bergeron] category, but he's, you know, Patrice like. And Zadorov, I mean, a big back end like that, it just solidifies our back end. I mean, our back end is big, and they got some beef to them, which I think bodes well in the playoffs. I mean, you got to get to the playoffs, but I think we're built a little bit stronger for the playoffs.”
On how close the team is to being a Stanley Cup contender...
Neely: Well, I think if we get everybody in camp and everybody healthy, we're a cup contender. There's no question. I strongly believe that. I think our players believe that, I know our coaching staff believes that, it's just a matter of are we going to... I think we're going to defend extremely well. Are we going to get the offense we'd like? I mean, that that remains to be seen. I mean, we know who can produce. We just will still need some guys to step up offensively. You know, our power play, we talked about that. It slipped a little bit in the last half of last year. I think that can come back now that maybe we have a little bit more of a bumper position solidified with Elias. I think he likes to play there, so we'll see how that goes. But I feel like we're a strong contender if we’ve got our full lineup.”
Timeframe of a Swayman signing and him being able to play...
Montgomery: “Well, I think that the longer you go without seeing NHL shots, and the longer you go without seeing that kind of tempo and pace in front of you, whether it's five on five scrimmages like we've been doing every practice, or getting the game reps, the further back you get pushed. And that's why I referenced that, you know, say a deal gets done tomorrow, there's only a possibility of two practices before. You know, Korpisalo has done really well and we're confident in him, so that's why I referenced him starting game one.”
On if he was surprised by Swayman’s asking price…
Sweeney: “No, as Charlie mentioned, I would never begrudge a player asking for what he thinks his value is.”
Neely: “I was surprised.”
Sweeney: “I'm a little surprised that you might take the position that the Bruins haven't been aggressive or aren't willing to go max term. And some of those comments like, at the end of the day, that is not how we've done business, and don't intend to do business. There's a marketplace for every positional player, and we're firmly among that grouping. So no, no surprise and I never begrudge a player for doing it, and you can't when a player decides to take it to free agency when it's their right, they shouldn't, you know, begrudge us either. You know, at the end of the day, those are decisions that they're making for their own well being and happiness.
Neely: “I think overall, Don's done a really good job of initial offers to players. One of the things we talked about when he when he got the job was, you know, being a former player, I'm not a big fan of low ball, high ball. Figure it out somewhere in the middle, it's like, okay, get the right comp, get the right comp group, put the right offer on the table. And I think, you know, Don's past has shown that he can get deals done. This is one that's just been a little trickier. That's all. I strongly believe that Jeremy wants to play here. I've asked him flat out, do you want to play here? And he does. I believe that they'll get a deal done. It's unfortunate it's not done today.”
On what Swayman’s camp initially asked for…
Neely: “Well, I don't want to get into the weeds with what his ask is, but I know that I have 64 million reasons why I'd be playing right now.”
On if the Bruins feel like Swayman is trying to reset the goalie market…
Neely: “I do. Yeah, I do. Just what his ask is, and what we believe his comp group is, are two different things.”
On if free agency additions eliminate struggles from last season…
Montgomery: “Well, what I like about our grouping this year, I think we have two lines that are going to be able to play 200 feet, and we're going to have two lines are going to be able to be heavy of 200 feet. And I think that bodes well, as Cam had referenced, into playoff success. So to answer all your questions, I think it's a check box on all three of those. You know, being able to have, I look forward to the opportunity in the playoffs no matter who we play, because we've got to get there first. But if it happens to be Florida, I like our group and where we're going to grow throughout the year to the success that we could have in the playoffs.”
On if there’s more pressure due to matureness of the team…
Neely: “Yeah. I mean, you know, there's always pressure in this market, which is fine. I mean, I as a player, you want a passionate fan base. You want them to care about the team, and that's what happens here in Boston. So, you know, I think our players thrive for that. They understand what this market's all about. They've been here. Most of them have been here long enough to get a good feel for it. I don't have any problems with, you know, having pressure attached with that.”
On what has made Jim Montgomery a successful head coach…
Neely: “His communication skills are right up there with some of the other coaches that have had success in this league, very collaborative with his staff. I think he has no problem delegating, and I think they work extremely well together. So those things right there, you know, tell me that we got a good coach. I think he's still learning along the way, as we all are in our positions, but I'm happy with the development of our staff and where we're headed right now.”
On if Cam Neely had any influence in free agency decisions…
Neely: “Well, I think, you know, we look at our if you want to call them failures, which they are in the playoffs, and then you look at why, and you know, maybe what happened. You know, take a look at your roster and say, Okay, where do you think we need to improve? So we have those conversations, and then it's just a matter of, you know, are the right guys available? Or can you acquire those players, or can you sign them? And you know, Don did a really good job of, you know, once we identified those players to be able to get them signed or acquired.”
On if it’s important to extend Jim Montgomery before the season starts…
Sweeney: “I mean, I think it was really important to to make sure that Monty knows that, you know, when we went through the interview process. We hired a good coach. We believe he's a good coach, and we'd like to extend him and to be our coach. Our discussions will be ours and be internal and where he feels his landing spot needs to be, but I think it was really important to make sure he knew what our intentions are.”
On if they watched Mason Lohrei at Culver Academy…
Sweeney: “Not at Culver, no. USHL.”
On taking Mason Lohrei in the second round…
Sweeney: “You're right. He has not been playing the position for very long, and at some nights, he probably thinks he's playing forward still, but that's part of the thing we like about him. To tell you the honest truth, he's got confidence in his in his skill set. We just saw a really upward trajectory in a short period of time. And his receptiveness in the way the coaches that he was playing for was really eager, eager to continue to learn, while not losing the confidence in the skill sets that he believes he has. And it's translated pretty quickly to both the American Hockey League and the NHL. All young players get over their skis at particular times. I referenced that earlier of bringing in and solidifying our back end so it allows Monty and his staff to move the pairs around and depending on how everybody's playing, to be honest with you, but I think he compliments the guys we have, and he'll get opportunity now. He'll get, you know where we are right now, second power play touches, which he had in the USHL, he's done in Providence. Now, you got to be able to do at the NHL level, and there's a learning curve associated with that. But [Mason] is a good kid. Spent a lot of time to get to know him as a person when we first drafted him, and our development staff, and Adam McQuaid in particular, got to know him, and spent a lot of time when he was at Ohio State. And he's like a sponge, you know, but he doesn't get derailed, you know, when a mistake comes, and sometimes that's hard for young players, but, but he does a good job of sort of shaking that off.”
On why September 29th was the right day for roster cuts and where players could’ve done more…
Sweeney: “So our decision again, we went through, we mapped out sort of camp as a whole, in targeting, you know, potential lineups early in camp, later in camp, obviously, injuries have dictated a little bit of availability for certain players. Player performance has also dictated a little bit of that. We made a pretty conscious effort right around this time to hone in on some quality practices with the target specific lineup based on who was playing well, and with a clear intention that whether it's Fabian or other players that I referenced, they'll be back to play. That might be as early as Thursday or Saturday. So the evaluation is going to continue, you know specifically, and I'm not, I don't want to go back and retalk about his good things, bad things. He's got a lot of talent, and we're trying to get him to understand a little bit more of the team based game and apply that, whether that's in practice in Providence, yes, you know, today and tomorrow, and then bringing it back when he does get another opportunity here, that's what you're hoping for. In all young players that's what you're hoping for. There's very few ready made players. You know, this is a league that chews them up pretty quickly.”
Montgomery: “Yeah, I think when we look… Don and I look at training camp together, we analyze a couple of things. And yesterday, starting yesterday, was 10 days until game one. We had four practices left. We had three games, two days off. So when you look at the way the schedule lays out, getting down to a smaller number, where you can go one group, where you're getting most of your group that's going to be with you to start the year, the intensity and execution and effort, everything comes up, and we need those in those last four practices, along with the games, to be able to have our team ready for game one, and that's why we kind of targeted yesterday as the day where we kind of think we're going to do that. We can pivot at any time from that.”
On if Tyler Johnson’s PTO is still being evaluated…
Sweeney: “No, we're still evaluating it. It's, you know, Elias will not play tomorrow night. So there's another example of Tyler has versatility to his game. Slide him in the middle of the ice. That's the way Monty ends up going. You've got power play stuff that, you know, again, the practice yesterday, and just getting Elias back in that situation, some reps. He's in a competition with several guys, you know, and we'll continue to evaluate that as we go forward.”
On changes during preseason because of recent injuries around the league…
Neely: “Yeah, it's a fear we have heading into camp and preseason games of staying healthy. It's a real fear. Whether the league and the players think that there's too many exhibition games remains to be seen. The [Collective Bargaining Agreement] is coming up soon. I'm sure there'll be some discussions. But it is a concern of losing one of your top players in preseason.”
Sweeney: “There's a balance there, Kevin. I mean, it's collective bargain that camp was at 20 days, and it's necessary to have them. Right now, you have to play six games. There's just that balancing act the coaches go through, the league goes through, players go through. How many reps they actually need to get ready for? Again. it goes from zero to 60. You know, if you don't sort of incrementally move your way along there, you’re really ready when the puck drops on opening night. I don't think, I think a lot of sports are dealing with… Football is going through it as well, in terms of, especially when you talk about, you know, physical sports in that regard. I played nine one year, so I don't think it… We've come a little bit away from that. I don’t think everybody's playing that many games, but that's just, you know, obviously, we're trying to find the right balance point to get a player ready and, you know, avoid injuries. I don't know whether we're going to get to that point where, unless we're not playing any games, but even in practice, like you're still ramping up practice and simulated scrimmage and drills and things that you know it's a contact sport, so eventually it's going to happen.”
On plans to extend Trent Frederic…
Sweeney: “You guys are really, you know, you might as well bug my phone if we're going to go down the path of every player, every person that I'm going to have a discussion about. I have had a discussion with Freddy's camp 100%. You're 100% accurate. Morgan Geekie’s an RFA. I've had a discussion with his camp. Brad [Marchand]. You know, not to leave Brad out. Plenty of discussions with Brad's camp, you know, in terms of trying to find a landing spot there. So yeah, you know we are. We're as proactive as we possibly can be within the parameters of the league and CBA when we can talk to players. But yes, to answer your question honestly, yes.”
