Jeremy Swayman, all-star Boston Bruins goalie, confirms Jewish roots in bar mitzvah video
The Anchorage native describes ‘unique’ bar mitzvah in congratulatory message
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman in February. Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images
By Louis Keene March 25, 2024
The “Frozen Chosen” has a starting goalie.
Boston Bruins all-star goaltender Jeremy Swayman, whose Jewish heritage was previously rumored, said in a video message to a fan celebrating his bar mitzvah that he, too, had celebrated his Jewish coming-of-age — though he was short on detail.
“I had a pretty unique bar mitzvah myself, up in Alaska,” Swayman, 25, said. “It was just my dad and I, actually, and we did it outside, so it was a pretty unique experience.”
i’m sorry what do you mean you had a bar mitzvah pic.twitter.com/OSCurmQirS
— x – Em – charlie coyle weymouth (@emvirga) March 25, 2024
He added: “I know it’s going to be an awesome, awesome experience for you. Welcome to manhood.”
Swayman recorded the message on Cameo, a website that allows users to buy personalized messages from public figures. A personal video from Swayman, who is in his fourth year in the National Hockey League, costs $200.
While the video was addressed to a Bruins superfan named Nate, the bar mitzvah boy’s precise identity was unclear. (Email me at keene@forward.com if you know more!) It was surfaced Monday afternoon by a Bruins fan on X, formerly Twitter.
Swayman — nicknamed “Sway” — is part of a charismatic cast of Jewish NHL players led by the Edmonton Oilers’ 50-goal scorer Zach Hyman, New York Rangers all-star defenseman Adam Fox and brothers Jack, Luke and Quinn Hughes. Another Jewish netminder, Devon Levi, was recalled last week by the Buffalo Sabres.
His goaltending — and that of Linus Ullmark, who alternates with Swayman — is one reason the Bruins were in a four-way tie for the league’s best record headed into Monday’s games. In 39 starts, Swayman has recorded 22 wins, 8 losses and 8 overtime losses with a .917 save percentage, earning his first all-star selection. Announcing the selection, Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa said, “As voted on by fans and his dad, Jeremy Swayman” had been picked.
His dad, Ken Swayman, moved to Anchorage with his wife Anne Boesenberg before Jeremy was born, and — evidently in addition to organizing Jeremy’s tiny bar mitzvah — taught him hockey.
Swayman’s Cameo videos are always genial and often humorous. Congratulating a couple on their engagement, he said they reminded him of “me and Marchie’s relationship.” He then panned to Bruins team captain Brad Marchand, who was riding a stationary bike. “I was thinking of proposing to him, but he’s already got a wife, unfortunately,” Swayman deadpanned. “So maybe I’ll try to sneak my way into that family somehow.”
Evidently understanding the assignment, he took a more sincere tack in his video for Nate. In the four-and-a-half minute video, Swayman commended the bar mitzvah boy for volunteering for a Newton, Massachusetts, food pantry, and encouraged him to “soak everything up like a sponge” as a youth hockey player.
He added that he would be honored to share the ice with Nate some day.
“I’m so ecstatic for you in this incredible chapter,” Swayman concluded. “I’m sure reading from the Torah is going to be really special. It’s going to be memories for life. I know mine was.”
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