Don Sweeney Explains Bruins’ Blue Line Decisions

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images The Boston Bruins have a crowded blue line, which means some players have to fall out of the lineup on a nightly basis. On Wednesday night, Bruins GM Don Sweeney addressed the media, alongside president Cam Neely and CEO/alternate governor Charlie Jacobs. Among the topics discussed during the 44-minute press conference, two specific defensemen came up: Henri Jokiharju and Mason Lohrei .

JOKIHARJU Henri Jokiharju played in 41 games this season, missing a large chunk of the season due to injury. After returning in January, he played in 16 of the Bruins’ last 40 games. He represented Team Finland at the Olympics, winning bronze, and will play for them again in the IIHF World Championships.

“To me, it’s allowing a coach to make his own assessments of how players are playing and systematically, and on Henri to respond to that,” said Don Sweeney. “There are times he did really well. A lot of times, Henri came back in the lineup, and his first game was really good, and maybe it drops off a little bit.

But coming back into the middle of the series, with the stakes where they were, he’s a pro. He responded really well. ” “From a capable standpoint, a lot of it’s still on the player to be able to provide what the coach is looking for and adjust.