Blog #1 - Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark

Welcome to my blog! My name is Chloe Patel and I’ve been going to Boston Bruins games with my dad and sister ever since I can remember. Shipping up to Boston from 40 minutes away became a highlight from October to June (hopefully). Now, just 20 minutes on the T away from TD Garden, where the Bruins play, I still can’t seem to get enough of the team I’ve seen on top of the world—ex: the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship—and amid a rebuild when they missed the playoffs in 2016.

I’ll be taking you along the ride of the last stretch of the 2022-2023 NHL season for the Boston Bruins. Don’t worry, it won’t just be a recap of the excellent season the B’s have had—the team sits atop the league standings with 83 points in just 52 games and is on pace for 131 points this season. Instead, I’ll write about the 2022-2023 Bruins squad's personality that you just can’t shake; the team is full of characters no matter where you look on their depth chart.

Backing the team is goalie duo Jeremy Swayman (left) and Linus Ullmark (right), who boast a 2.33 and 1.90 goals against average, respectively. They have been making the NHL news cycle more than usual this season, but not just because of their impressive stats. The dynamic duo began their “hug it out” celebration early in the season when Swayman started his first game in the 2021-2022 campaign.

The celebration has developed into something more, even though it was initially to support Swayman in a game that is always special.

Now, fans stay at TD Garden for a few more seconds after a Bruins’ win than they did in the past to see the goalies celebrate. The pair meets near the net, bend down, throw their hands into the air, and then embrace as the Garden hollers for one last time.

The Boston ProShop, located in TD Garden, even sells "Hug It Out" merchandise.

The dynamic and community these netminders have brought to the team, the fans, the league and players everywhere reminds us that hockey is bigger than just the game itself.