Jeremy Swayman Bio
Jeremy Rion Swayman (born November 24, 1998), nicknamed ‘Sway’ or ‘Bulldog’, is an American professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Bruins selected him in the fourth round, 111th overall, of the 2017 NHL entry draft. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Swayman began attending Alaska Anchorage Seawolves men’s ice hockey games as an infant with his father, and he took up goaltending at the age of five. He played in the NCAA for the Maine Black Bears before turning professional in 2021, quickly establishing himself as a key player and receiving multiple accolades.
Early Life and Background
Swayman was born on November 24, 1998, in Anchorage, Alaska, to Anne Boesenberg and Ken Swayman. Swayman is Jewish and had a bar mitzvah. He began watching college ice hockey games as an infant when his father would take him to watch the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. Swayman first played as a goaltender when he was five years old, and he quickly became attached to the position. He played youth ice hockey around Anchorage and spent two years with the team at South Anchorage High School before starting his junior ice hockey career. He had expected to stay in Alaska and play for the Kenai River Brown Bears of the North American Hockey League, but he was cut from the team in favor of two older goaltenders. Instead, through the help of several family friends, Swayman joined the Pikes Peak Miners of the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League. In 18 games for the Miners, Swayman had a .940 save percentage and a 1.79 goals against average. After one season with the Miners, Swayman was selected by the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League in the 12th round of the 2016 USHL Phase II Draft. Sioux Falls coach Scott Owens had first taken notice of Swayman during his season in Pikes Peak, and he remained impressed by the goaltender during training camp. After leading all USHL goaltenders in preseason save percentage, Swayman stopped 48 shots on goal in his Stampede debut, a 3–2 shootout win over the Tri-City Storm. In 32 games with Sioux Falls, Swayman posted a 7–18–3 record, .914 save percentage, and 2.90 goals against average. At the end of the USHL season, the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League selected Swayman in the fourth round, 111th overall, of the 2017 NHL entry draft.
Path to Hockey
At the time the Bruins drafted him, Swayman had already committed to playing college ice hockey for the University of Maine, beginning in the 2017–18 season. Swayman made his collegiate hockey debut on October 7, 2017, making 26 saves but taking the loss in Maine’s 5–1 defeat against UConn. After making 40 saves to give the Black Bears a 5–2 win over Boston University on November 17, the Hockey East conference named Swayman their Rookie of the Week. He received the award again on January 8 after posting his first career shutout, stopping all 31 shots he faced in a 3–0 win over Boston University. Swayman finished his freshman season with a .920 save percentage and a 2.74 goals against average, while his 15–13–3 record was the best of any Maine rookie goaltender since Ben Bishop. He was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and was an All-Star Honorable Mention. Swayman’s first Hockey East honor of the 2018–19 season came on November 19, when he was named the Defensive Player of the Week after making 79 saves in a two-game series against Boston University. He won the award again on December 3 after stopping 74 shots in a two-game series against Vermont. On January 25, Swayman made a career-high 53 saves in Maine’s 4–3 upset win over UMass. Swayman finished the season with a .919 save percentage, a 2.77 goals against average, and a 14–17–4 record in 35 games, and he was named to the All-Hockey East Third Team.
Jeremy Swayman Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Swayman officially signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Bruins on March 18, 2020. At the time, ice hockey at the NCAA, NHL, and American Hockey League levels had all been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Swayman’s professional career began in the 2020–21 season, when he was assigned to the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate. He won his first seven games of the season, posting a 1.57 goals against average and .942 save percentage in those games. In nine games for Providence, Swayman went 8–1–0 with a .933 save percentage and 1.89 goals against average, and he was named to the AHL Atlantic Division All-Star Team at the end of the season. With Tuukka Rask sidelined by an upper-body injury and Jaroslav Halák testing positive for COVID-19, Swayman was promoted to make his NHL debut on April 6, 2021. He made 40 saves as the Bruins won 4–2 against the Philadelphia Flyers. His first NHL shutout came on April 16, when he stopped all 25 shots he faced in the Bruins’ 3–0 win over the New York Islanders. Swayman played in 10 games for the last six weeks of the Bruins’ regular season, during which he went 7–3–0 with a .945 save percentage and a 1.50 goals against average. His regular-season performance prompted coach Bruce Cassidy to select Swayman over Halák as Rask’s backup goaltender in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Breakthrough (2022–2023)
The 2022–23 season was a historic one for the Bruins, and for Swayman, who formed the best goaltending tandem in the league with Ullmark. Swayman and Ullmark’s post-victory ‘goalie hug’ became a widely-covered team ritual. The Bruins finished the regular season with new records in both wins (65) and points (135), winning the Presidents’ Trophy. Ullmark and Swayman together received the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltending tandem to allow the fewest goals. Their 177 goals-against across 82 games was 36 fewer than the second-place Hurricanes. The Bruins entered the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs as the favorites for the championship. However, they were ousted in the first round by the Florida Panthers, squandering a 3–1 series lead in the process.
Jeremy Swayman Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Jeremy Swayman has received several nominations for his outstanding performances, particularly during his collegiate and early professional career.
Jeremy Swayman Awards Won
Jeremy Swayman has achieved notable recognition in his career, including the Mike Richter Award for the top NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey goaltender of the year and the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL.
Jeremy Swayman Family
Information about Jeremy Swayman’s family is limited, but he was born to Anne Boesenberg and Ken Swayman in Anchorage, Alaska.
Personal Life
During the 2021–22 NHL season, Swayman and fellow Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark went viral for the hugs they gave each other after games. This ritual began after the Bruins won their home opener, showcasing their camaraderie on and off the ice.
