Boston Bruins training camp opened with a familiar face carrying a bigger load than ever: Jonathan Aspirot.
After a breakout season that took him from NHL debutant to a regular on Boston’s top pair alongside Charlie McAvoy, Aspirot is back with a fresh extension and a bigger spotlight. His impact last year was hard to miss.
When he was in the lineup, the Bruins went 39-13-9 in 61 games. Without him, they finished 6-14-1.
That split tells the story of how important Aspirot became to Boston, especially in the defensive details that don’t always grab headlines. He steadied the penalty kill, helped at five-on-five, and emerged as what the article describes as Boston’s best pure defensive defenseman.
At practice yesterday, the Bruins started working through basic defensive pairings with McAvoy set to miss the first six games of the 2026-27 season because of suspension. Aspirot was paired with Mason Lohrei, a setup that could be the opening-night look while McAvoy is out. It would also be a meaningful test, since most of Aspirot’s minutes last season came next to McAvoy.
Aspirot said the summer was all about sharpening the parts of his game that matter most in his role.
“I'm really excited to have them. I think they're both really great players. So excited to have them as part of the team, and they're going to help us win some more hockey games. exciting.”
When asked what he focused on over the summer, he kept it simple: defensive work, puck movement, quicker breakouts, and the kind of details that can change shifts without showing up in highlight reels.
“Just some D stuff. Working on my game defensively, boxing out, moving the puck [quicker], breaking the puck out.
Just things I've been working on every year and things you can improve every time you get a chance. So it's been fun.”
He leaned into that idea again when asked whether the “boring stuff” is easier to emphasize for a player in his role.
“Yeah, the boring stuff. Not much skills or hands, and making plays or triangles, but more like defensive stuff.
So, yeah, it's been a really good summer. It's been fun.”
Aspirot also said his mindset didn’t really change after last season’s NHL breakthrough. He went home, put in the work, and stuck to the same routine.
“I think nothing really changed for me. I just went back and worked hard back home.
The same thing I've been doing every year, and just nothing is given, nothing's free. So, yeah, I went back, worked hard, and it's been a really good summer.”
He also came away encouraged by new assistant Matt McIlvane, calling the early interactions positive and open.
“Oh, it's been great. Really fun to talk to, really open with us. So I'm excited to be working with him, and it's gonna be a great year for sure.”
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