Bruins GM Don Sweeney does not currently have contract for next season
BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins are in need of some improvements if they want to get back to Stanley Cup contention. General manager Don Sweeney addressed those needs when speaking to the media on Wednesday ... but he also admitted that he's not yet locked in as the man who will definitely be in charge of leading those changes.
Sweeney confirmed to the media on Wednesday that his contract expires at the end of this postseason, and that an extension has not yet been reached with the Bruins.
"I'm under contract for right now," Sweeney said. "I've had a discussion later in the year as to the indication of where my path will be. And that'll be determined in short order."
Sweeney has been the team's GM since 2015, when he took over for Peter Chiarelli after working in the Boston front office for the previous nine years, including six as assistant GM. Having played for the Bruins for 15 years prior to working in the front office, Sweeney said he knows and embraces the demands that Boston has for its hockey club.
"We stand here today acknowledging we fell short," Sweeney said. "And that's on me, to try and pull the right strings and hopefully make the right decisions. I guarantee you that if I'm not, somebody else will be making the decisions. That's not a problem where I stand, at any point in time. And that's part of professional sports, both as a player and in management."
The Bruins were eliminated in first round of the playoffs over the weekend, their earliest playoff exit since 2017. The team made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, losing in seven games to the St. Louis Blues, but otherwise has failed to get past the second round in any of Sweeney's seasons as GM.
