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Jeremy Swayman pays tribute to Lewiston community after Bruins win
"My heart reaches out to all those affected. I consider myself a Mainer."
Jeremy Swayman might hail from Alaska, but the Bruins goaltender forged ties to Maine and the New England area long before he first donned a black-and-gold jersey.
The 24-year-old netminder spent three years playing for the Maine Black Bears — taking home Hockey East Player of the Year honors following his junior year in Orono before making the jump up to the pro game.
And in the aftermath of Wednesday’s mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, Swayman paid tribute to a state and community that he’s built a strong bond with over the years following Saturday’s win over the Red Wings.
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“That was a special win for the Lewiston local community,” Swayman told NESN’s Andrew Raycroft following Boston’s 4-1 win. “My heart reaches out to all those affected. I consider myself a Mainer. And the people up there did not deserve anything like that. And I just hope that they understand that they’re not alone and we’re all thinking of them — and we love them.”
The Bruins held several tributes and announced multiple fundraising efforts in the wake of Wednesday’s tragic events.
Ahead of Thursday’s home game against the Ducks, Swayman placed a customized Bruins sweater behind Boston’s bench that featured the Maine area code of 207 and read: “Lewiston Strong.”
The Boston Bruins Foundation also created a fund to support the families of those affected by the shootings. The foundation already pledged a minimum of $100,000 to help those in need, while Thursday’s 50/50 raffle also benefited families in Lewiston. Members of the Bruins and the Ducks are also auctioning off player-signed sticks wrapped with blue tape, representing the state of Maine.
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Swayman played a key role in Boston’s bounce-back win over Detroit on Saturday, stopping 22 of the 23 shots that came his way at TD Garden. Swayman is now 4-0-0 on the season with a sterling .957 save percentage.
“It’s something that you want to set statements with,” Swayman told Raycroft of Boston’s win over an Atlantic Division opponent. “Obviously, they’re the first division team we played this year, and we had a lot of hype going into it. Obviously, the crowd [was] amazing.
“And that’s important for us to send a message to the league early. I think we got two more [division games] coming up this week. So that’s what we got our eyes set on. And tonight was a good stepping stone for us to move in a great direction.”
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