Bruins spark concern over Olympic gold medalist with emergency roster move

Now that the Winter Olympics have come to an end, with Team USA returning home with gold around its neck, teams can focus in the resuming 2025-26 NHL season. On that note, the Boston Bruins are wasting no time making moves.

Jeremy Swayman is back in North America. The goaltender appeared in one game for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics. While Connor Hellebuyck stole the spotlight in net, Swayman’s name will still go down in history books as an Olympic gold medalist for the Stars and Stripes. As he returns to the NHL, the Spoked B has raised alarms about his availability.

“The Bruins have recalled goalie Michael DiPietro from [AHL] Providence [Bruins] on an emergency basis,” Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reported on his X account.

Why is DiPietro being called up?

Most likely, the Bruins are bringing DiPietro up to fill in for Swayman in the immediate future. Team USA members have been invited to attend the State of the Union address and visit the White House, which could lead to several of them missing their teams’ return to NHL action. Though Swayman hasn’t publicly confirmed his attendance, teammate Matthew Tkachuk did, which could mean the entire squad is headed to Washington, D.C.

Jeremy Swayman with Team USA

Moreover, based on a picture Tkachuk posted on his Instagram Stories, Swayman and the rest of Team USA were seen boarding a U.S. Air Force One plane. It’s safe to assume the Americans aren’t done partying after their long night in Miami, and are now headed north to the nation’s capital.

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If that’s the case, Swayman would likely miss the Bruins’ upcoming showdown with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 26 at TD Garden. That appears to be the most plausible reason behind Boston’s decision to recall DiPietro, who has yet to make his NHL debut with the Spoked B.

Other possibilities for Swayman

However, other scenarios remain on the table, though some are barely hanging on. Some fans believe Swayman may be dealing with an injury, which would explain why DiPietro is back in Boston. More pessimistic voices wonder whether the roster move could signal that Swayman is on the trade block.

That feels extremely improbable. After the loud buzz generated by Linus Ullmark’s trade in June 2024, it would be shocking—to say the least—for the Bruins to move on from the other half of their iconic goalie tandem.