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Jeremy Swayman was the first of the Bruins’ two American gold medalists to arrive back at practice in Brighton on Wednesday, his voice a bit raspy from a two-day celebration but his spirits still on a high from the entire Olympic experience in Italy.
“I was with the best players in the world every single day. Away from the rink, too. We were in tight quarters in the village. And I think our decision to stay in that village is why we won, in keeping such close-knit bond,” Swayman said. “We were in the dining hall together, playing cards and obviously at the rink, too. That’s something that really bonded us. The experience I took from that was staying as focused as you possibly can, be a professional in everything you do and perform on the ice on the biggest stage.”
Both Swayman and Charlie McAvoy arrived from Washington, D.C., about 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. While McAvoy, who played big minutes in every game, took his option to get some rest, Swayman wanted to get on the ice and get back to work. He played in just one game in the qualification round, a win over Denmark.
Swayman stayed on the ice to get some extra work and it’s not clear when he’ll be available. Coach Marco Sturm will assess where both players are at after Thursday’s morning skate at TD Garden prior to their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets and then go from there. Swayman said he’d be ready.
“Yeah. I can’t wait to get back. I’m excited to get started and whenever my name is called, I’ll be ready to go,” said Swayman.
The experience at the Olympics and the aftermath was incredible, said Swayman. But there is one thing he would change, if he could.
In the joyous aftermath of the game, President Donald Trump called to give his congratulations and invite the team to the White House. Trump said that he would “have to bring the women’s team” that also won gold to the White House or “I do believe I probably would be impeached.”
Still riding the adrenaline of the biggest win USA hockey since 1980 as well as a Corona or two, the players laughed along with the president.
Some saw the joke as a backhand swipe at the women’s team, others saw it as a shot at his political adversaries. Despite both the men’s and women’s teams ardently supporting each other throughout the tournament, the players took heat for their reaction in some circles. Swayman was contrite about it.
“Yeah, we should have reacted differently. We know that,” Swayman said. “We are so excited for the women’s team, we have so much respect for the women’s team and to share that gold medal is something we’re forever grateful for. Now that we’re home, we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support that we have from the USA in sharing this incredible gold medal.”
Many on the men’s and women’s teams have known each other for a long time.
“Plenty of us have crossed paths with them, whether it was in college and the professional league, too,” Swayman said. “We were so excited for them to get it done first. Seeing them in the dining hall and sharing the victories together is something we’ll cherish forever.”
While that controversy may have caused the politically-obsessed to view the men’s gold medal differently, Swayman was still very much walking on air.
“It’s incredible,” Swayman said. “It’s starting to sink in now, the reaction from the people in the U.S. as soon as we landed down (in Miami) and just the outreach of the families. It’s a childhood dream come true and the guys we did it with, especially, and the way we did it. It’s an unbelievable feeling that we’ll cherish forever.”
The team has been on a whirlwind since the win on Sunday, first ripping it up in Milan, then jetting to Miami (the team was re-routed from New York because of the blizzard), where they continued the party before visiting the White House and making an appearance at the State of the Union address.
“It was an incredible honor,” Swayman said of the time in the capital. “We were there to represent our country, celebrate a gold medal for the United States and that was something we really embodied and we’re really grateful to be a part of.”
Swayman raved about the performance his Bruins teammate McAvoy, he came up with a key block that saved a goal in the gold medal game.
“That man is the most deserving on that team with all the adversity that he’s been through and just refusing to get knocked down,” said Swayman, referring to the major shoulder surgery and broken jaw the defenseman has endured over the last year. “He was a leader for us and obviously his play spoke for itself. There were tears coming down because I was just so proud of him and his accomplishments and how he handled himself and got that win. He was a huge factor for us in the championship game. I get to see it firsthand, more than most of the guys on that team, what he does for this team, his family and this community. I couldn’t be more excited to share this medal with him forever.”
And, of course, there was Connor Hellebuyck, whose 41-save performance was so clutch in the gold medal game that Trump announced he’d be getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“He’s the reason why we’re here. He’s the reason why we’re champions,” Swayman said. “It’s so special to share that bond with him and the three goalies (along with Jake Oettinger) that we had there. It’s really a treat to share these moments. And the way that we played, that spoke for itself. So incredibly grateful that he stepped up for us and we get to celebrate that performance forever.”
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