Inside the Jeannot Family’s Move to Boston: ‘Biggest Weight Lifted Off Our Shoulders’

BOSTON –– The Boston Bruins’ goal song was playing when Tanner Jeannot’s parents walked into the house on July 1.

​No one had to say a word to know where the forward had decided to land for his next NHL destination.

​Pat, Jeannot’s father, has been a Bruins fan his whole life. While not a Massachusetts native, Pat pledged his loyalties to Boston because his brother’s favorite team, Jeannot explained, was the Philadelphia Flyers. So, he decided to root for the rival.

As Jeannot finalized his five-year deal with the Bruins, he and his wife, Keely, knew how to break the news to Pat, who had taken their two young boys out for the day. The Kernkraft 400 tune filled the room.

​“He knew right away – it is Boston,” Keely said.

​The Jeannots were in Kelowna, British Columbia, for the offseason as the free agency window opened. It meant family could be nearby for the moment.

“When it happened, we got to tell them right away in person and got to celebrate. It was pretty cool,” Jeannot said. “He was pretty pumped up about it.”

The 28-year-old was looking for a team that could give him a good opportunity in the lineup and fit his hard-nosed, physical style of play. The Bruins went into the summer wanting to add an edge and experience to the bottom half of their forward group. Jeannot was a clear answer.

“It felt like the biggest weight lifted off our shoulders. If you know Tanner, he wasn’t sleeping for months,” Keely said. “I think he slept 12 hours after the signing.”

And then came the move. It was the second time in two years that the family packed everything up and traveled across the country. Jeannot played last season with the Los Angeles Kings and was with the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to that.​

The long-term contract with the Bruins not only matched what Jeannot was looking for on the ice but also offered a stable home for his sons, Jayce, who is three years old, and Calder, who is one.

“They’ve been through a couple [moves] now. So just kind of say, ‘This is our new team, this is where we’re going.’ Showed them some videos and stuff of the Bruins – they get pretty excited when you show them the hockey part,” Jeannot said. “[Jayce] calls Boston – it’s just called the Bruins. All of Boston is called the Bruins. When we flew here, he was yelling on the plane, ‘We’re at the Bruins!’ He was pretty excited.”​

Keely took Jayce and Calder to the Bruins’ preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sept. 29 at TD Garden. They stood at the glass for warmups and saw Jeannot in Black & Gold for the first time.

“That part of it is definitely really special,” Jeannot said. “Getting to show them around the dressing room and the rink and stuff like that – it’s something that is pretty special. It has been such a big part of our lives, getting to now share it with them is pretty cool.”

​Pat also went to the game, which was his first at TD Garden. Not only was he cheering on the Bruins, but now his son, too. He was a big part of helping Jeannot and Keely get to Boston in the first place.​

Jeannot’s parents drove a pickup truck full of moving supplies – including Jayce’s hockey books and the all-important coffee machine – to Boston from Kelowna. Oakley, the Jeannot’s Pyrenees Husky, also caught a ride. She was too big to go on the plane for the initial move.

“I don’t know what we would do without family in this life,” Keely said. “Just having them available whenever is amazing.”

With strong support at home, Jeannot quickly committed to his role in training camp and is entering the regular season on the third line with Fraser Minten and Mikey Eyssimont. Jeannot offers some protection to the 21-year-old Minten, who will center the trio, and already has chemistry with Eyssimont, whom he played with in Tampa Bay from 2022-24.​

Eyssimont agreed to a two-year deal with the Bruins on July 1, reuniting the former teammates.

“It was fun that signing day to see him sign here, too. We’re good friends,” Eyssimont said. “Tanner is a great guy to follow, especially off the ice. He works hard, and it definitely bleeds into the room. He’s also really good off the ice at kind of getting guys together, making everyone feel welcome and comfortable. He’s a really funny guy, so I’m happy he’s here with me.”

Head coach Marco Sturm also had familiarity with Jeannot. Before joining the Bruins in June, Sturm was behind the bench for the Ontario Reign – the AHL affiliate of the Kings. The two overlapped while Jeannot was also in the LA organization. Sturm will rely on Jeannot to be a core piece of the Bruins’ bottom six, and has also been using him on the penalty kill.​

“He plays the simple way, the hard way, up and down. I feel like he feels really comfortable already in this group, in this town, in the city,” Sturm said. “He’s been great. And off the ice, leadership-wise, what I hear is he is stepping up. It’s not always easy for a young guy to come in. But there’s no surprise for me. That’s what I saw the last few years in LA.”

​Amidst all of the change, new scenery and responsibilities for Jeannot, he has rooted himself in his play. He came into the league undrafted and worked his way into regular, impactful NHL minutes. Jeannot is not straying from what brought him to Boston – he is using it to make the Bruins a better team.

“I’ve always described myself as a pretty physical player. Being hard on the forecheck, trying to turn pucks over, get the puck in my teammates’ hands and create some space for them,” Jeannot said. “I am always going to play with a lot of emotion. I’d do anything for my teammates – I’ll stick up for them, I’ll do whatever it takes to help the Bruins get the win.”