When the Boston Bruins traded Joonas Korpisalo in July, Don Sweeney got up to the podium at Warrior Ice Arena and said that Michael DiPietro was “primarily why” the move was made. 

“We just feel that Michael has earned this opportunity, and he comes in, not that Michael is ever going to worry about looking over his shoulder to say the truth. It’s just a real good opportunity for him now to come in and take the last two years in particular and apply it to the National Hockey League,” Sweeney said in July. “You’re never going to know unless you get that opportunity. And at some point in time, the team has to provide it.” 

The 27-year-old goaltender entered the season with back-to-back Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Awards, given annually to the best AHL goaltender. He also won AHL MVP honors last season. He became the first goaltender to win the award since Dustin Wolf in 2022-23. Over the last two seasons, DiPietro posted a 60-16-6 record with the Providence Bruins. 

DiPietro entered training camp without much competition for the backup job. It was his spot to lose. Jiri Patera, the potential challenger, did not get a look during any of the four preseason games. There was a clear path to the NHL roster, but playing time was a different story. Jeremy Swayman entered this season coming off a Vezina Trophy finalist season, one where he bounced back to form after a down year in 2024-25. Swayman started 54 games last season and excelled, and he will likely take on a larger workload with an expanded 84-game schedule.

DiPietro has started five of the Bruins’ first 17 games, but he’s made the most of his opportunities. Thursday night marked his fourth consecutive win, a stretch that has included his first NHL win and first NHL shutout. He owns a 4-1-0 record with a .925 save percentage, which ranks fifth in the NHL among goaltenders. His .889 high-danger save percentage is also tied for fifth in the NHL, according to Natural Stat Trick. 

DiPietro has gone as many as 13 days between appearances. That does not change his approach, though. 

“I just want to take it day by day and just kind of be patient. Just be able to be ready whenever I’m told I’m going to go in and just give the team the best chance to win,” DiPietro said to reporters in Pittsburgh on Thursday. “So that’s kind of been my focus since day one. Obviously a great way to start the year, but obviously it’s a long season ahead. So I just got to keep the same mentality and take it day by day.”

DiPietro is no stranger to a backup goaltending role or waiting long stretches between two starts. His journey to the NHL included seven seasons in the minors, one stuck on a COVID taxi squad, and a stint with the Maine Mariners upon landing with the Bruins. DiPietro finally became the starter in Providence for the 2024-25 season after spending the last two seasons behind Brandon Bussi. 

“Yeah, I think it’s a learning process. I mean, this isn’t foreign to me,” DiPietro said. “I’ve done it in the past in Providence. So, obviously, it’s a different league; [the] skill is a lot higher. For me, just making sure the details of my game are still sharp and being ready whenever I’m told I’m going in.”