Sweeney: 'We Are in Full Support of Rask's Decision'

BostonBruins.com - Bruins general manager Don Sweeney met with the media on Saturday morning in Toronto and expressed his support for Tuukka Rask's decision to opt out of the NHL's Return to Play to be with his family.

"We understand completely where Tuukka is coming from," said Sweeney. "I don't think it's any big surprise to us, to be honest with you. We're privy to information maybe before the rest of the public is, and this has been a difficult decision for Tuukka, but the Boston Bruins are in full support of why he made this decision."

Sweeney made sure to note that Rask's family is safe and healthy, but that the netminder felt it was in his - and their - best interest that he returns home to be with them. Rask has three daughters, the youngest of which was born in April.

"Fortunately, his family is safe and healthy, but with a newborn and two other young girls you know it's been challenging, and for Tuukka as well," said Sweeney. "We're fortunate that his family is all healthy, and they're going to have their dad back to be around on a regular basis. It's exactly what Tuukka needs to do at this point in time.

"In Tuukka's case, he has a newborn at home with two other young girls, and he just felt that he needs to be home with them at this particular time. You can't control the timeline of when the playoffs resumed.

"Give Tuukka a hell of a lot of credit for trying to persevere through this and initiate the process to come up and be with his teammates because, first and foremost, that's what he wants to do, but the priorities are in the right order and this is what he has to do at this time."

Sweeney said it was clear after Rask's comments about the lack of a playoff atmosphere in the NHL's bubble following Game 2 that the backstop was having trouble being away in the current environment.

"And nothing against what the NHL has put together and the intensity of the playoffs," said Sweeney. "This is playoff hockey. I mean, let's make no mistake about it. The stakes are high, and the players are invested and Tuukka in his own right felt that he needed to be elsewhere rather than being here in this current situation.

"He's the same goaltender that went to the Stanley Cup Final in a Game 7 last year…and he'll be the same player when we get up and running again next year. But at this point in time the two aren't related."

The Bruins will now turn to Jaroslav Halak between the pipes. The veteran netminder has been one of the NHL's best backups over the past two seasons, teaming up with Rask to form a dynamic duo between the pipes that captured the Jennings Trophy, awarded annually to the goaltenders with the fewest goals allowed during the regular season.

The 35-year-old Slovakia native, who was signed to a one-year extension worth $2.25 million on May 1, was 18-6-6 with a .919 save percentage and 2.39 goals against average during the 2019-20 regular season.

While he played in one round-robin contest - which is being counted as a playoff game - Halak has not started in a postseason elimination series since 2015 with the New York Islanders.

"Jaro is a pro and I think over the last two years, we've been a hockey club that's relied on everybody and Jaro's been a big part of that," said Sweeney. "You know we've split starts; we've rarely played players back to back. Jaro is mentally and physically ready to step in and assume the role and obviously we hope that he rises to that challenge.

"But from the standpoint of knowing that there was always going to be a back-to-back and then we had another one thrown in there, so I think Jaro was well prepared and has an understanding that it was going to take probably in most situations and you're seeing a lot of cases around the league where both goaltenders have been used anyway even in the initial rounds."

Sweeney admitted that he is uncertain whether or not Rask's decision will have a ripple effect on other players in the Bruins dressing room.

"You know, that's a good question, you never know whether or not there's a domino effect in some of these decisions," said Sweeney. "Everybody's individual situation will be taken as it comes, and, again, we'll try and do our best to communicate with the players in case there are things at home that they're concerned about that we may be able to help with.

"In this case you're not able to help because Tuukka feels he needs to be there and in support of his own family, so we understand that. I don't expect to, but again this is a time where you have to roll with whatever comes your way, and I think the players understand that, they'll be ready to go today and in support of Tuukka leaving, but also in Jaro stepping in.

"It's a great opportunity for Daniel [Vladar] or Max [Lagace] if they get the call. It's always been a next man up mentality and probably never more so than in this year's playoffs."