Nikita Zadorov clarifies his viral 'no comment' statement about $66,000,000 Boston Bruins goalie's attempted fight

Defenseman Nikita Zadorov clarified his viral “no comment” statement regarding Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman’s attempted fight against Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper.

During Sunday's 7-2 blowout loss to the Kings, Swayman, who has an eight-year, $66 million contract, tried to engage Kuemper in a fight, but officials quickly intervened before any punches were thrown.

When asked about Swayman’s actions after the game, Zadorov replied:

"Is that what it is? I don't know, no comment."

Zadorov explained himself further after practice Tuesday, saying the response was born out of frustration from the lopsided loss rather than any issue with Swayman.

"You're going to ask me about Sway's comment. You (media) blew it up," Zadorov told reporters. "When you ask a question like that after a 7-2 loss, the players are frustrated. So obviously, at the time, I was frustrated, and whatever I said, it wasn't towards Sway."

Zadorov said the question caught him off guard and stressed the need to consider the team’s situation. He admitted he was emotional after the game.

"We appreciate in this room guys stepping in for each other, and that's a culture that was here before I came here. I’m trying to follow it as the guy who steps in for teammates… I think it wasn’t even about comment towards Sway or anything like that. It was just taken out of context.”

Zadorov emphasized that Swayman is a key part of the team, signed for the next eight years, while he’s committed for the next five. He said he’s hopeful they’ll have plenty of success together, get back to playoff hockey and aim to win the Stanley Cup.

The Bruins have lost six straight games. Swayman gave up seven goals on just 23 shots in the loss to the Kings.

Nikita Zadorov says he reached out to Swayman after postgame comments

When asked if he felt the need to clear the air with Jeremy Swayman, Nikita Zadorov said he reached out to him right away to make sure there were no hard feelings.

"Well, I did. Yeah, I called him. I was like, 'Hey, it’s all made up.' I mean, now with social media, obviously, you guys are doing your job. As soon as you put it up on Twitter... it gets blown up because of views and all that stuff. So obviously, you want to clarify right away," Zadorov said/

Nikita Zadorov also emphasized the importance of media training, noting that it’s important to choose words carefully. He admitted his earlier comment may not have come across clearly, but he feels he has now cleared things up.