Jeremy Swayman’s Agent Reveals Impact Of Cam Neely’s Callout

Cam Neely put his cards on the table last Monday, and less than a week later, the Bruins found a resolution to a longstanding issue.

Neely was very forthright when he spoke about Jeremy Swayman’s contract situation last month, indicating Boston offered the star goaltender a contract worth $64 million. Swayman ended up receiving a bit more from the Bruins, who signed the 25-year-old to an eight-year, $66 million pact this past Sunday.

Swayman’s agent, Lewis Gross, refuted Neely’s $64 million claim shortly after it was made. But once all the Ts were crossed and Is were dotted, Gross shed light on the remark’s impact on negotiations.

“In a lot of ways, it jump-started these negotiations,” Gross told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. “Because we talked a lot. We both had to express ourselves, Don (Sweeney) and I, about what we had just experienced. And having done this for over 30 years, any time you have a chance to speak, you have a chance to come to a resolution.

“If you don’t speak, you’re not going to get a resolution. So I think (Neely’s declaration) in a lot of ways jump-started these negotiations and helped us get it to the finish line.”

Swayman clearly was relieved to tie a bow on the situation and shift his focus entirely back to hockey. And it probably won’t be much longer until Bruins fans see Swayman return to the net he’s been protecting since 2020.