Boston Breaks the Bank
The Boston Bruins ended three months of drama on Oct. 6 with Jewish NHL player Jeremy Swayman by inking him to a brand-new lucrative contract. The 25-year-old goalie made history with his eight-year $66 million extension, establishing him as a new face of one of hockey’s most iconic franchises.
The path to get a deal done proved treacherous and rife for drama in Beantown. Bruins President Cam Neely, frustrated by negotiations with Swayman, elected to turn the pressure onto the player with an unorthodox quote. The top executive hinted at the latest Bruins offer on Sept. 30.
“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,” Neely said.
The leaking of the state of negotiations enraged Swayman and his agency. Neely’s comments applied media and fan pressure to the situation, removing privacy on the way. Swayman’s agent fanned the flame with a response on behalf of his client.
“At today’s press conference, $64 million was referenced. This was the first time that number was discussed in our negotiations. Prior to the press conference, no offer was made reaching that level. We are extremely disappointed. This was not fair to Jeremy,” Swayman’s agent said.
After an additional week of talks, Swayman had 66 million reasons to play. The total value surpassed legendary Bruins goalie Tuka Raask’s $56 million contract to become the largest guarantee ever allotted to a Boston goalie.
A reigning all-star and the former winner of the Jennings Trophy, awarded to the team with the best goal suppression, Swayman now holds the fourth-highest contract for current goalies with the fifth-highest average annual salary.
He is expected to play in more games this season after playing in roughly half of Bruins games over the past two seasons. Boston elected to trade his fellow goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators as a sign of faith in Swayman.
Among current players in MLB, the NFL, the NBA and the NHL, Swayman’s contract ranks the highest for any Jewish player, though that remains likely to change as multiple high-profile Jewish MLB players hit free agency in the coming weeks.
MLB Playoff Update
The penultimate round of the MLB playoffs has two Jewish players still vying for a World Series ring. New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader aims to upset the Los Angeles Dodgers and secure the first National League pennant for the Mets since 2015. Cleveland Guardians reliever Eli Morgan, who has Jewish ancestry, is looking to snap his franchise’s 76-year World Series drought.
Morgan’s performance against the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series forged an iconic playoff moment, helping Cleveland stave off elimination. He needed to strand a runner at second base and retire the red-hot Spencer Torkelson, who represented the tying run and already had multiple doubles in the game. Torkelson beat Morgan in their prior matchup two games earlier, but the stakes would never be higher for game five. With a full count, Morgan unveiled a devastating changeup and stifled the last Tigers’ chance to mount a comeback.
Bader and the Mets will return to Citi Field in New York for three games against the Dodgers, with the series tied 1-1. The Bronxville, New York, native will likely continue his bench role for the team and offer a top-tier defensive and speedy substitution option. His two stolen bases in three games against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series rank first among all postseason players.
