The biggest move of the offseason for the Boston Bruins was on draft day when Don Sweeney packaged two first-round picks to acquire JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth.
The 24-year-old winger landed in Utah just 366 days before the trade to Boston. He finished the 2025-26 season with 47 points (25-22–47), down from the 68 (27-41–68) he had in Buffalo the season prior. Peterka directly answered Sweeney’s call for “speed and skill,” giving the Bruins another top-six option who fits their competitive window.
Peterka represented the Bruins at the European Player Media Tour in his hometown of Munich, Germany. While there, he told NHL.com/de that having gone through a change of scenery once before should make the second go-around easier, but the supporting cast plays a role as well.
“It’s definitely nothing new anymore, so you know what’s coming. Settling in will be easier for me in terms of the overall environment, since there is a German-speaking coach and a teammate there,” Peterka said in German. “I also know a few players from my time in Buffalo. So, settling in will be much easier for me.”
He added that he’s already found a place to live but is still waiting for the furniture to arrive.
Marco Sturm is the first German-born head coach in NHL history, and Peterka and Lukas Reichel are two of the eight active German NHL players. Peterka also has history playing with Casey Mittelstadt, with some time on a line and a power play unit together in Buffalo.
Though Sturm and Peterka have never crossed paths, they have communicated, and Peterka called those conversations “really exciting.” The 24-year-old has another connection on the bench, and it’s the Bruins’ new hire, Matt McIlvane.
“[Sturm] told me how much he and the organization are looking forward to having me join and that they’re eager to get started,” Peterka said. “It’s not just him, though; there’s also his assistant coach, [Matt] McIlvane, whom I actually had as a coach back when I was 18 in Salzburg. So, I’m already very familiar with the coaching staff, which will definitely help me.”
“[Sturm and I] talk in German. It’s a funny story: when he called me after the trade, we were speaking German, but the camera crew that was there asked us to speak English for a moment, too. So we exchanged two sentences in English and then switched back to German (laughs). That was a cool moment.”
A call from Coach 📱#NHLBruins | #BehindTheBpic.twitter.com/7fdA7EukVv
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 27, 2026
Peterka and Lukas Reichel both represented Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and they were on the same line in the USA game. Boston is the third NHL team for both of them, and while their paths are completely different, Peterka knows they both want to leave their mark.
“We definitely both want to make an impact on the team. We’re comfortable playing a defensive game, too, and we’ll give it our all every day,” Peterka said. “Boston is an Original Six team with so much history. We’re happy to be here and want to play here for as long as possible.”
Peterka spent the summer in Germany and, alongside training, opened The Peterka Arena in Buchbach, 40 miles from Munich. Peterka told NHL.com/de that he skated there a few times a week, with one focus of his offseason training matching what Sweeney called for at the end-of-season press conference.
“In the summer, I place great importance on the fundamental skills, such as speed. That is where I focus my attention during the summer break, both on and off the ice, again this year.”
After the trade, Don Sweeney told NESN that he wants Peterka to “help drive lines and complement our top-end players.” Peterka told reporters in Germany that he’s excited about playing on the same team as David Pastrnak, and he is hopeful for the chance to play on his line.
“Just playing on the same team is so cool, because you can learn so much from him, in practice and during the preseason, about what he does in games, how he handles his body, and all that stuff,” Peterka said about playing with Pastrnak. “Getting the chance to play on the same line as him would be absolutely awesome!”
Peterka will get his first chance to skate alongside Pastrnak when the Bruins report to training camp on September 16.
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