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\u201cThere\u2019s no egos in the room. There were none whatsoever. Those guys are accomplished. It\u2019s been a two-year evaluation in all honesty because part of the 4 Nations was with an eye towards the Olympics, as the group was going to stay together for two complete seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sweeney touched on a number of other subjects in a sit-down with the Globe, including his schedule, the ebbs and flows of this Bruins season<\/a>, coach Marco Sturm, postgame planning, and the future.<\/p>\n Sweeney has had a jam-packed schedule as he scouted and evaluated players for the Olympics and the Bruins, whether it be someone who could make a sudden impact or developmental players.<\/p>\n \u201cIt may sound funny, but it\u2019s the most in-person NHL games of other teams I might have seen in the last two years, which is not a bad thing,\u201d he said. \u201cThey joke around, usually on the road, there\u2019s not a night that I\u2019m not trying to find a game. Whether it\u2019s a junior game, a college game, or whatever it is in the city we\u2019re in.\u201d <\/p>\n Sweeney got to experience the highs and lows of the assignment Wednesday, calling some selections, including Capitals forward Tom Wilson, to inform him he secured an Olympic spot.<\/p>\n Sweeney also had to have a chat with the Bruins\u2019 Morgan Geekie, who made a strong case for himself<\/a> with 50 goals in the 2025 calendar year, but was not selected.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to name names, but we have a pretty good collection of really high-end players that will be replacement players if we have injuries,\u201d said Sweeney. \u201cObviously, none of them are wishing anything but good health for the 25 players that were named, but we\u2019ve got a lot of hockey to play [before the Olympics].\u201d<\/p>\n Sweeney acknowledged the Bruins season has been a roller-coaster ride, which has included a pair of six-game losing streaks<\/a> sandwiched around a seven-game winning streak.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish we were a little less peaks and valleys, and that\u2019s where we have to do a better job,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can\u2019t afford to really have those stretches of games where you\u2019re not accumulating points. We gave a few away early on in some games. And if you look at the data, we actually have played OK. The homestand hurt us. Sometimes playing at home \u2014 four or five in a row at home \u2014 right around Christmas is not necessarily the best thing for the players. There can be a lot of families in [and] distractions, they just didn\u2019t do as good a job.\u201d <\/p>\n Sweeney expected some growing pains with a first-year coach, but likes what he is seeing from Sturm. <\/p>\n \u201cWe knew there were going to be a lot of times where there\u2019s going to be some challenges during the course of the season,\u201d said Sweeney. \u201cA coach that\u2019s going through all these things, he\u2019s been around the league, but managing it all and trying to keep an even keel, is an important part of my job at this point in time to get him to understand there\u2019s a big picture, albeit celebrate the wins and get to work after losses.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweeney feels that Sturm, who has implemented a hybrid man-to-man\/zone\/1-2-2 system<\/a>, has good command of his team and the locker room.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the players respect him. I think his message is pretty loud and clear,\u201d said Sweeney. \u201cCan we execute it? Sometimes the system side of things and him trying to find the nuances of that, finding guys playing together who complement each other. So, those are all challenges at the NHL level. Then injuries thrown into it, that certainly messes up the chemistry at times. So, there are some unique challenges. No matter how long you\u2019ve been around the National Hockey League, until you\u2019re behind the bench and running them and working through them, you\u2019re going to have some growing pains, and that\u2019s our team, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweeney meets with the coaching staff immediately following most games. It\u2019s not so much of a debrief of what just happened but rather a look ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the years, I\u2019ve learned that it\u2019s not the best opportunity to completely rehash,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, you might have some potential injuries, you might have some roster management, you have some things that you absolutely have to discuss in the moment. You get the medical report, but you have to plan. You cannot walk out of the room when you have things that are up in the air. TBD is a tough exercise when you leave the rink … You can\u2019t walk out of the rink and not have, whether it\u2019s Plan A, B, and C, you have to have the discussion that says, \u2018OK, what does it look like tomorrow?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n So, what\u2019s next on Sweeney\u2019s itinerary? More hockey, of course. He\u2019s heading to St. Paul to catch some of the World Juniors, where Bruins prospects James Hagens and Will Zellers<\/a> have been powering Team USA.<\/p>\n Hagens was the seventh pick in June, while Zellers, acquired as part of the Charlie Coyle trade<\/a>, might not be as well-known to Bruins fans.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m headed there [Thursday], so I\u2019ll see them live,\u201d said Sweeney. \u201cYeah, I think they\u2019ve acquitted themselves really well. Will was a bit of a late addition from the standpoint of coming to the camp. So, good on him. He\u2019s taken advantage of that opportunity and a competent kid that knows what his skill set is, and he\u2019s taken advantage of the role they\u2019ve given him.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben Volin and Dan Shaughnessy debate which Boston team is the closest to the next duck boat parade.<\/p>\n Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @globejimmcbride<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Bruins](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/LHYE5FLKOM5FNYQQRKMZCX5PTU.jpg\")
Bruins leading scorer Morgan Geekie’s 50 goals in calendar year 2025 failed to earn him a roster spot for Team Canada.
\nMatthew J. Lee\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n![\"Bruins](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GXEXH3W3Q4THVOOBQSYDKPEVEE.JPG\")
Bruins GM Don Sweeney feels first-year coach Marco Sturm has good command of the team and the locker room.Jessica Rinaldi\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n