An ‘emotional’ Jeremy Swayman reflects on his first game back with Bruins

"I'm so grateful to be a part of this city, a part of this team, and it's moments like that that make everything worth it.”

The last time Jeremy Swayman left the TD Garden ice in May, he questioned whether or not he’d return to Causeway Street in a black-and-gold sweater come October.

With a contentious contract negotiation on the horizon and uncertainty brewing about both his future and that of fellow goalie Linus Ullmark, Swayman pondered his fate during Amazon’s “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL” docuseries.

“I mean, I don’t want it to end,” Swayman said on the show. “[This] could be the last time I wear a Bruins jersey. I know I’m going to do everything in my power to be a Bruin for a long time. As a kid growing up in Alaska, this was in my wildest [expletive] dreams.

“I never want it to end. I’m just so grateful that the sun’s going to rise tomorrow and there’s another opportunity to get better.”

Swayman’s concerns about the future were finally answered on Sunday by way of an eight-year, $66 million contract extension.

And in his first start as Boston’s No. 1 netminder on Thursday, Swayman admitted that he needed to collect himself as he skated on the ice to a chorus of cheers from the Garden crowd.

“It was pretty emotional, that warm welcome,” Swayman said of his reception during player introductions. “And it just goes to show what kind of fan base we have here, knowing it’s more than just a player, it’s a human being that they care about and I got pretty emotional finally stepping on that ice and hearing that roar again.

“Again, just an incredible amount of gratitude. I’m so grateful to be a part of this city, a part of this team, and it’s moments like that that make everything worth it.”

Swayman, who trained at Boston University during the Bruins’ training camp, has gone from 0-to-60 in his ramp-up to game reps this week. The 25-year-old netminder logged just one full practice day with Boston before getting the nod in net for Thursday’s home opener against the Canadiens.

It was not the sharpest showing from Swayman, who allowed four goals on 25 shots in Boston’s eventual 6-4 victory. But much like how Joonas Korpisalo’s six-goal showing against Florida on Tuesday was more a byproduct of the defensive woes in front of him, Jim Montgomery bemoaned the net-front coverage around Boston’s other goalie on Thursday.

“Again, we got to clean things up,” Montgomery noted. “I mean, we gave up two faceoff goals. We had [five] icings tonight that I didn’t like … Two ended up causing goals, and two ended up with them going on the power play.

“So that’s the part of the game management part that we need to be better at. Jeremy Swayman was good. He made the saves that he could. Again, there were backdoor tap-ins because our coverage isn’t solid.”

Even if some of Swayman’s tracking and anticipation between the pipes was a bit rusty as a long layoff, he did showcase some of his trademarks in his season debut — be it snuffing out a few Grade-A looks with a quick snag of his glove or antagonizing forwards hovering around the crease.

After challenging Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault to a scrap last season, Swayman shoved Habs captain Nick Suzuki over the final seconds of the second period Thursday — waving his glove and beckoning the forward back toward him after exchanging words.

“Kind of my inertia going that way, so I need a little balancing help there,” Swayman joked about the encounter.

Expectations will be elevated for Swayman in 2024-25 and beyond. Beyond the new $8.25 million price tag he now commands, Swayman will need to help keep Boston’s defensive fortitude intact through these early-season growing pains.

With Linus Ullmark now in Ottawa and new backup Joonas Korpisalo finding his footing with his new team, Swayman expects to earn the lion’s share of reps this winter. It’s an opportunity that the promising netminder has awaited for years.

But for now, Boston’s franchise goalie isn’t getting caught up in season-long goals.

“It’s something that I really would try to work on, is simplifying my life and what’s the most important thing,” Swayman said. “And obviously, right now, it’s talking to you guys — and next thing is going to get a protein shake, and then hugging my dad.

“It’s pretty special when you can really simplify your life like that. And that’s what I try to do best, is keep the outside noise away, and when I’m in the rink, focusing on exactly what I do and the task at hand.”

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.