From Anchorage to Orono to Boston: Jeremy Swayman’s journey to getting a prime goaltending prospect

Ken Swayman used to perch his son, Jeremy, on his lap in a backpack as the two of them observed the University of Alaska-Anchorage men’s hockey games with intensity.

Other situations, Jeremy squatted on the lap of his older sister, Beth. The blare of the aim horn compelled Ken to routinely cover his toddler son’s ears.

Even though Ken eyeballed the recreation from their seats driving the internet, Jeremy was infatuated with the man patrolling the blue paint. Other young children habitually wailed and banged on the glass when a significantly stirring perform transpired, but Jeremy remained fixated upon the male who was the final line of defense.

As a teen, Jeremy matriculated into a skillful prospect. He performed for South Anchorage Large Faculty and routinely attended different camps in the Alaska area (albeit not for the reason that he been given an invitation).

While some others were being garnering the praise and attention that Jeremy craved, he understood that his time to make an influence on scouts was dwindling.

“I was not a United states of america Hockey darling by any means,” reminisced Jeremy.

Jeremy labored closely with Steve Thompson, who owned the Alaska Goaltending Academy. Thompson is now the American Progress Design manager of goaltending for United states Hockey and was component of the coaching personnel that led Group United states of america to a gold medal at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

Jeremy and Thompson initially related all through the 2014-15 season, heading to pick out festivals, which inevitably produced into summertime exercises and camps.

Apart from Jeremy’s purely natural capacity, 1 attribute shone by way of:

“Passion – which is where he stands out,” explained Thompson. “He constantly has a smile on his deal with. I can’t think of 1 time that he’s in a bad temper.”

The duo transitioned from a standard mentor and college student romance to a personal friendship. When they drilled goalie fundamentals, this kind of as diverse available reads, depth administration, and supplying internet to get net, the two focused on the psychological aspect of the video game more than nearly anything else.

Jeremy and Thompson are the two pupils of the sport, as a result purely natural conversation abounded as the two bounced ideas off one a further like mad scientists – imagine Tony Stark and Bruce Banner ended up collectively in a lab.

Both are avid outside fanatics and made use of mom character as an location to bond and prepare the brain, instead than drill the complexities of X’s and O’s. Jeremy and Thompson ran mountains jointly (indeed, you study that correctly – RAN mountains), with Thompson sneaking in the occasional earn (though he did observe that “Jeremy can kick me up and down the mountains”).

Further than their usual banter, the congenial pair would interact in semantics about how to mentor youthful goaltenders, how to be the ideal doable teammate, and how to stay clear of permitting the inescapable “cheeseball” purpose permitted derail the relaxation of the video game and long term performances.

“I do think what stands about Jeremy (in comparison to his peers) is how disciplined and motivated he is,” claimed Thompson. “There are some youngsters that totally want to be passengers. There are so many ‘yes men’, but Jeremy isn’t scared to request inquiries. He’s not concerned to offer you his very own input.”

Thompson details to Ken’s job as a physician and the self-discipline demanded to be effective in that area, together with their inseparable father/son relationship as main explanations for Jeremy’s unrelenting get the job done ethic and determination to his craft.

“He’s definitely a dad’s boy,” stated Ken. “Just to make him happy meant almost everything to me. He carries himself with these types of a specialist mentality. What I’m so proud of Jeremy, further than his accolades, is the man or woman he’s becoming.”

Soon after being lower from the Kenai River Brown Bears of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), Jeremy relocated from Alaska to Colorado Springs, Colorado to play for the Pikes Peak Miners.

From there, every thing adjusted.

Greg Vanover, the head mentor of the Miners, was the to start with mentor that struck household for Jeremy.

Vanover, who now is the head mentor of the U16 Rocky Mountain Roughriders, coached the Miners for eight decades. He progressed more than 60 players, such as Tampa Bay Lightning forward Blake Coleman, to the United States Hockey League (USHL), NAHL, and other top rated junior leagues. He also worked with the Dallas Stars rookie camp, aiding with the power and conditioning off-ice program.

Admittedly, Jeremy’s schooling was bereft just before connecting with Vanover. Numerous Tough Riders players vocally trapped up for Jeremy’s inclusion on the group, despite the roster by now remaining finalized.

On a cellphone phone, Jeremy instructed Vanover that he was going to work hard and get the workforce hockey online games. Less than Vanover, Jeremy realized how to operate and contend at a superior level just about every working day.

“I’ve hardly ever labored so challenging in a time,” recalls Jeremy, reflecting on the various wind sprints done in parking loads.

Vanover insidiously told Jeremy one working day pregame that if he let in a shot in the course of warmups that the goaltender would be operating a track meet in the parking lot soon after the match. Ever determined by a challenge, Jeremy would admonish teammates if they did not shoot challenging in warm-ups, galvanizing them into strafing him with rubber. That evening, Jeremy posted a 39-help save shutout.

Another time, Vanover didn’t announce a starting off goaltender. Jeremy saved glancing at the head coach, awaiting a nod in his direction to signal that the net was his. Vanover wanted to see how Jeremy would respond in the situation, and he did not disappoint.

Right after no beginning goaltender was introduced, Jeremy skated out for warmups and straight away commandeered the blue paint. Vanover cracked a wry smile. It was Jeremy’s internet.

A week out from the USHL draft, Vanover was on the phone with previous Sioux Falls head coach Scott Owens. Vanover articulated to Owens that Jeremy was “legit” and that he would be their amount-just one goaltender.

Jeremy had already told Owens that. A yr later, Jeremy informed the College of Maine coaching workers the exact same thing. Jeremy would be the number-one goaltender on all of those people groups. Irrespective of his competitive streak, Vanover lauded that Jeremy is an excellent teammate, who is pretty supportive of his friends and pretty coachable.

Jeremy was picked by the Boston Bruins in the fourth spherical of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, 111th general, before at any time donning Maine Blue, white, and navy.

“There was no question, at any time, that that kid was going to be a hockey player,” said Vanover.

Swayman stepped on to campus in Orono, a disconcerting 4,452 miles from his loved ones in Anchorage, with an insatiable urge to aid the staff earn immediately. That 12 months, Jeremy completed third among the freshman goaltenders with 31 appearances, earning 7 Hockey East honors in the course of action and securing a place on the Hockey East All-Rookie staff.

In his sophomore campaign, Jeremy completed fourth in the state in saves following he commanded the web for 35 of the Black Bears’ 36 contests. A 4-time meeting defensive participant of the 7 days, the goaltender affectionately nicknamed ‘Sway’ gained 3rd Crew Hockey East Convention All-Star.

“I knew if I stopped the puck at the University of Maine, I’d get the opportunity to go on to do so professionally,” stated Jeremy.

Though he unquestionably impressed in his initially two go-rounds, Jeremy took an expeditious leap in his 3rd calendar year. Not only did he backstop Maine to its optimum finish in the Hockey East convention in eight several years, he took dwelling plenty of hardware to fill a Property Depot.

Jeremy won the Mike Richter award, bestowed on school hockey’s ideal goaltender. He was a finalist for faculty hockey’s most prestigious award, the Hobey Baker, which is offered to the nation’s major faculty hockey participant. The Hockey East player and goaltender of the yr and initial-group All-American also gained the Walter Brown award, allocated to New England’s best American-born hockey player.

He owns the university’s one time document for most will save in a season, albeit just one slice brief by COVID-19. His 1,099 saves topped the nation and he completed with the country’s third highest save proportion, a whopping .939%.

How’s that for a season, huh?

Regardless of generating a time so outstanding that it essential an expanded trophy situation, Jeremy’s fondest memory was the last video game of his university occupation.

This singular match intended more to him than the sequence from archrival College of New Hampshire Wildcats. No, not mainly because it was his previous sport at Alfond Arena – it was senior evening. He required to honor those people who battled in entrance of him a get on their previous night time. Swayman manufactured a Superman-like energy, halting all 48 pictures he faced.

“That’s the evolution of Jeremy,” stated Alfie Michaud, an assistant mentor at the University of Maine. “He’s starting up to get it. He’s playing for other people aside from himself.”

Jeremy’s ascent to college or university hockey stardom wasn’t by accident. Through the time, he shifted his eating plan to a plant-primarily based strategy. What to begin with was undertaken as a nutritious shift to a Mediterranean food plan, weighty on greens, grain bowls, and wraps, veered to whole vegan.

“I just preferred to get an edge,” he reported. “I experienced watched this documentary about nourishment and the positive aspects of heading vegan and I bought all fired up. I instructed my trainer that I was going vegan,” said Jeremy.

Jeremy judiciously stuck to the fresh new diet program, not even telling his trainer for the initially two weeks. After these 14 times, the crew trainer found that Jeremy had minimize 11 lbs . and his coronary heart rate had reduced. Jeremy giddily knowledgeable him of his diet program improve, pointing out how substantially quicker he was recovering from his taxing schooling and on-ice classes.

Jeremy plays around 193-195 lbs ordinarily, incorporating about five lbs . during the offseason. Though he utilised to take in purple meat 3 moments a week, his change to a plant-based food plan has retained his fat down though improving his restoration and performance. His pre-recreation regimen – if you can call it that – has remained the exact same, a not-as well-superstitious mix of stretching and simple hand-eye coordination drills.

“Jeremy’s done a excellent occupation creating all those decisions – I signify, do you want to have a water or a pop?” claimed Michaud.

Michaud, a former College of Maine standout amongst the pipes himself, credited Jeremy’s function ethic, coachability, and willingness to consistently consider new factors as pillars to his achievements.

Equally Jeremy and Ken spoke glowingly about Jeremy’s connection and romance with Michaud – Jeremy has referred to Michaud as a next father.

“I’m just a grumpy previous gentleman,” Michaud drolly mentioned.

Michaud’s issue-of-actuality way of coaching and Jeremy’s sponge-like absorption of awareness produced a good belief among the duo, forged from Michaud valuing being aware of Jeremy as a person just before him as a hockey participant. The two would spend a few goalie sessions a week jointly, in addition to a online video session.

Jeremy viewing Michaud as both a mentor and a second father speaks volumes to his relationship with his own old male.

The two share a exclusive relationship, cast by mountaineering, backpacking, and rock climbing from a youthful age. Jeremy would accompany Ken on his out of doors adventures, fitting cozily in the same backpack that he did when Ken would bear him to hockey rinks.

As Jeremy has developed, so have the adventures: mountaineering in Estes Park, Colorado, a 107-mile hike in North Cascades, Washington, and tenting out for many weeks at a time in Denali Nationwide Park in Alaska. The two were supposed to undertaking to Mt. Everest foundation camp and summit the 18,514 foot Kala Patthar, which rests in the Himalayas in Nepal.

Before embarking on additional father/son adventures hikes, Jeremy will look to climb the Bruins’ depth chart.

Guiding established veterans Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, ‘Sway’ will contend with touted prospective buyers Daniel Vladar and Kyle Keyser for playing time in the long run.

Jeremy’s aggressive mother nature, ever-improving skill, and affable identity lend nicely for securing a spot in Boston in the not-way too-distant future.