As the 2026 Olympics reach their thrilling conclusion, hockey fans are eagerly anticipating the Gold Medal showdown between the United States and Canada on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins are preparing for the return of key players, defenseman Charlie McAvoy and goalie Jeremy Swayman, who are expected back at Warrior Ice Arena as soon as possible. Finland's defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goalie Joonas Korpisalo have already made their mark, capturing the Bronze Medal on Saturday.
What sets this Olympic break apart for the Bruins is the unique challenge of losing both of their goalies, Swayman and Korpisalo, to Olympic duty. With the season resuming on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, it's crucial for the Bruins to get their netminders back in form. The lack of ice time for both means they'll need to hit the ground running.
Head coach Marco Sturm emphasized the urgency: “Somehow, we have to make sure they’re going to get some reps in as much as we can, as early as we can. Because we need them.
We need one of them, at least. But again, I want to wait and see what happens and figure it out.
See how everyone feels.”
Adding to the complexity is a major snowstorm, expected to hit the Northeast starting Sunday night and potentially causing disruptions into Tuesday. This could complicate travel and practice plans for players returning from the Olympics.
In brighter news, Pavel Zacha is back on the ice, sporting a red non-contact jersey after recovering from a concussion sustained against the Philadelphia Flyers. His return is a significant boost, as Sturm plans to reunite him with linemates Casey Mittlestadt and Viktor Arvidsson.
“Very important,” Sturm noted. “They’ve been our shutdown line but also produce offensively.
You can see it without Zacha in the lineup; we missed a little bit of faceoffs, power play. There are a lot of different areas where we kind of missed him.
That’s why it’s so nice to have him out there fresh and healthy.”
With the trade deadline looming just 12 days away, the Bruins are on the cusp of potential roster changes. Questions linger about how long Arvidsson will remain in the Black and Gold.
As the Olympics wrap up and the roster freeze lifts, expect trade rumors to intensify leading up to the 3 p.m. deadline on March 6. The Bruins are at a pivotal point, and the coming days will be crucial in shaping their path forward.