BOSTON -It didn’t take long for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to feel the embrace of the Boston Bruins.
Arriving in town on Sunday, the newly acquired netminder has been quickly getting acclimated to his new surroundings.
He got to introduce himself to several teammates this past week, while attending captain’s practice at Warrior Arena.
But it wasn’t until he was on the receiving end of a big bear hug from Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman that he felt right at home.
“I had one yesterday, finally,” said Korpisalo, with a smile.
It was a cool gesture coming from Swayman. The Bruins restricted free agent has been known for his traditional postgame hugs with Linus Ullmark following each team victory over the past three seasons. That highly successful partnership came to an end on June 24. That’s when Bruins general manager Don Sweeney traded Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Korpisalo, hard-hitting forward Mark Kastelic, and a 2024 first-round draft pick (Dean Letourneau).
“The trade came by surprise,” said Korpisalo, 30. “But as days went by, I was really happy and excited to get back here, and just get to work with the boys. Things happen for a reason. I’m here right now and super excited.”
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Currently a restricted free agent, Swayman continues to practice with the team as his agent hammers out his next contract. Despite being in limbo, the well-intentioned Bruin welcomed his new teammate with open arms.
“Sway reached out to me right away,” said Korpisalo. “He’s a great guy. I see that we can get along really well.”
Although Swayman’s contract status remains unsettled, the tandem’s connection will be crucial to the team’s ultimate success. Whether it’s a starter/back-up role, or more of a 50/50 split, Korpisalo remains upbeat in what they can accomplish together.
“I don’t know, we’ll see,” said Korpisalo. “We’ll do our best. I’m sure the coaches will know more. We’ll just do our stuff here and we will see.”
A 6-foot-3, 189-pound netminder, Korpisalo played in 55 games for Ottawa last season. The netminder went 21-26-4 with a 3.27 goals against average and .890 save percentage. The Senator’s struggles were indeed a challenge.
“It happens,” said Korpisalo. “Everyone did their best. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. It certainly wasn’t that no one tried enough, but that was last season. We’ve got a new season coming up.”
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Selected in the third round (62nd overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2012 Draft, Korpisalo has been an NHL fixture since 2015-16. The veteran sports career totals of 115-107-29 with a 3.06 goals against average and .901 save percentage. The netminder is looking forward to working with Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa to improve on those numbers. A 12-year NHL veteran ‘Goalie Bob’ has been with the team since 2003.
“I’m really excited to see Bob and get to work with him,” said Korpisalo. “I’ll get to see what’s on his mind, to make my game better. We’ve been calling each other a lot. He’s not here yet, but we’ve been catching up throughout the summer going over all kinds of stuff. I’m excited to meet him.”
Unlike a forward or defenseman, breaking onto a new team for a goalie can be an easy transition.
“We’ve got only one job and that’s to stop the puck,” said Korpisalo. “It’s the same with every team. I think the biggest thing for a goalie to learn is how the defensemen play, especially when controlling the puck. That and the special teams. It’s just having a lot of conversations and being aware of what the guys do. It’s pretty cool once you start skating with the guys. You know what’s up.”
In the meantime, the goalie is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his new Bruins gear, including his custom made goalie mask.
“It’s in the working stages,” said Korpisalo. “The cage is going to be gold. Usually, I just let the painters do their job. They’ve been pretty good in the past, so we’ll see.”
