Whether it’s patrolling centre for the Boston Bruins or typing away his anecdotes on life, Mikey Eyssimont has all the angles covered.
The NHL career of the 29-year-old has spanned five seasons across five teams and has featured plenty of highs and lows along the way.
Eyssimont, who signed a two-year contract with the Bruins last July, joked that he could write a book about his hockey journey, from his minor hockey days in Colorado to the bright lights of the NHL.
Instead, he chose a different platform to share personal insights.
When the Bruins opened training camp for the 2025–26 season, Eyssimont decided to begin sharing his thoughts on Substack– a subscription-based newsletter platform for independent writers and content creators.
“There are two reasons I wanted to do it. One, it was for myself, a cool way for me to do something outside of hockey, keeping me busy. I have had hobbies in the past that have really helped me with my game. I get home from the rink and focus on something else for a bit. Writing is kind of a cool way to do that.
“The other reason was that I feel I do have a brand. My brand isn’t too be on camera before a game, saying, ‘Get ready for this four-game road trip.’ This is my niche way to do it. I have played around with it quite a bit early on. During training camp, I wrote a few blogs, trying to find my voice a little. I enjoyed it. I liked working on some drafts and talking with my fiancée about it.”
Writing has long been a passion – and strong suit – for Eyssimont.
Combined with his appreciation for fan interaction, joining Substack felt like a natural fit.
“The Substacks, they are public. Anyone can see them, but I haven’t promoted them. Fans know who the players are on the ice, but this type of platform gives opportunities to learn more about them away from the rink.”
Eyssimont drew inspiration from others before launching his page, including tennis legend Novak Djokovic.
“I have seen Novak Djokovic on podcasts, and I find it very interesting, hearing how open he is on how he approaches tennis, life and family. I find him very inspiring – he is my favourite athlete of all time.
“I also try to take inspiration from influencers I like, Aaron Levine being one of them. I have become good friends with him – he has his own clothing brand – and he has this voice where he talks in his captions on Instagram and blogs that he does. I don’t try to model what I do after him, but I do get inspiration from him.”
There are plans – but no set timeline – for Eyssimont to post more content. His most recent post, published Feb. 23, covers the perils of packing.
“I went out for a coffee with a guy in Montreal, who has his own clothing line, JJJJound, and I was telling him about my Substack, seeing if I could intersect with their brand and vision. It is a brand I have been following and buying clothes from for a long time. We were talking about possible things we could collaborate on.”
Then there are his teammates.
Eyssimont, who is friends with Bruins teammate, goaltender and Olympic gold-medal winner Jeremy Swayman, is considering taking on the role of interviewer with the backstopper.
“I have also thought about doing a Q&A with Jeremy when we are on the plane for a road trip,” said Eyssimont, who won gold with Swayman when they represented Team USA in the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship. “I think people would tune in. I would like to get some momentum going with all this. As the season goes on, you don’t have time for much – I find it tough to even get an oil change – but there are ideas and I’d like to get it going.”
With the Olympic break now over and the playoff push intensifying, some plans may be temporarily delayed.
Whatever he posts, Eyssimont says it will be thoughtful and respectful.
“I am incredibly lucky to play this game and to be part of this league and its history. I am so fortunate to share the ice with so many great people and to play in front of great fans. When I write, I promise to always do it from a place of respect – it is meant to be a fun, honest look at life. It isn’t a place to disrespect others or speak out of turn.
“I think I have some different ideas than other players. I think it’s just a cool thing to be able to do for the fans. Everyone I have spoken to has told me they all want to hear what NHL players have to say.”
Eyssimont is just as eager to hear from them.
“It’s always fun [meeting fans]. People will ask if I find it annoying – someone recognizes you at dinner – and it is the exact opposite. I am from Littleton, Colorado, so this is unreal for me. The fans in Boston are unbelievable. It’s exactly how I dreamt it would be.”
As for what he will post next on his Substack, it is a question of when, not if.
“It took me a bit when I did those two blogs, but once you get into that writing mode and put pen to paper, it starts to flow. I am always looking at ideas, like the one with Jeremy, so when the time is right, I’ll definitely be posting things. It’s something I am really excited about.”
(Feature photo courtesy of Getty Images)