Finally given NHL shot, Bruins' Jonathan Aspirot has been difference-maker on defense

"All Jonathan Aspirot was looking for was an opportunity. Prior to signing a one-year, two-way contract with Boston for $775,000 on July 1, 2025, the 26-year-old defenseman had spent the previous six seasons in the AHL - playing for both the Belleville Senators and Calgary Wranglers. Despite spending several years on the cusp of the NHL, Aspirot didn't make his debut at hockey's highest level until Oct. 28, 2025 with Boston. Based on what he's showcased so far in a black-and-gold sweater, Aspirot's days spent riding the bus on road games in the AHL might be over."

""He took advantage of the opportunity and also the opportunity for a new coach coming in," Marco Sturm said Sunday when asked of Aspirot's development. "The system we play, I think it just fit him perfectly. ... He's become a pleasant surprise for this hockey team. We know it. The players know it." After just 25 games with the Bruins, Aspirot's no-frills, meat-and-potatoes approach earned him a new contract - with Boston signing him to a two-year deal on Sunday worth an average annual value of $887,500."

"On a Bruins team featuring several gifted puck-movers like Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Mason Lohrei, Aspirot's simple, hard-nosed game has shored up a defense that has sprung far too many leaks this winter. The Quebec product closes in on puck-carriers quickly, doles out plenty of punishment along the boards, and makes simple, smart plays with the puck to limit those taxing reps spent snuffing out scoring chances in the D-zone."

Jonathan Aspirot signed a one-year, two-way contract with Boston for $775,000 on July 1, 2025 after six AHL seasons with Belleville and Calgary. He made his NHL debut with Boston on Oct. 28, 2025 and played 25 games before earning a two-year deal worth an average annual value of $887,500. The 26-year-old defenseman provides a simple, physical, defense-first presence that closes on puck-carriers, delivers board punishment, blocks shots and makes straightforward plays to limit defensive-zone exposure. Coaching staff and teammates regard him as a pleasant surprise who bolstered a banged-up defensive corps.

Read at Boston.com