Jeremy Swayman's unforeseen path to the Boston Bruins

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Hunter Bowman
August 18, 2023 (10:04 PM)

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Jeremy Swayman's journey with the Boston Bruins began unexpectedly in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

This surprising pick was a pivotal moment for the young goaltender, who opted to tune into the draft from his home in Alaska, watching on his laptop instead of being physically present in Chicago.

Reflecting on that day, the 24-year-old shared with Chris and Dan Powers on the "Empty Netters" podcast,

"I was sitting at my breakfast table with my dad, we were four hours behind in Alaska. I knew I wasn't going in the first round with it being my first year eligible for the draft. There was a lot of hope, but I was a C-rated prospect so it wasn't necessary (to attend)."

Swayman recounted how during his time playing in the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League, he encountered numerous college and NHL scouts who discussed his potential future in the sport. Among those interested teams was the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As the draft progressed, Swayman's agent reached out to him while he was watching the second and third rounds, hinting at the possibility of being picked by the Leafs in a subsequent round.

"It was the fourth round, and Toronto came up, and they picked a goalie," Swayman recalled. "I was kind of bummed but at the same time hopeful still because I had talked to other teams."

Amusingly, due to a glitchy WiFi connection in the Swayman household, the news of his selection reached him through a friend who was present at the draft.

"I'm looking at the screen, and the next pick is the Bruins, but nothing's happened yet," Swayman recalled. "I get a call from my agent, and he's like, 'Sway, you're a Bruin! Let's go.' And I'm like, 'no, I'm not. I can't see anything.' Then my phone starts blowing up... I kept refreshing my laptop until I saw it."

The Alaskan setting offered Swayman a unique opportunity to share the celebratory moment with his family. With the draft taking place in the morning, the festivities extended throughout the day.

"We had a pretty good celebration. It was totally unexpected, which is the coolest part," Swayman shared. "I think because you're so devastated for one second and the next second it's like a new world opens up. That was a pretty cool experience to share with them, and I'm glad it turned out the way it did (being drafted by the Bruins)."

However, the same fortune didn't shine on the Leafs. They opted for goalie Ian Scott as the 110th pick of the draft, but Scott's path never led him to the NHL.

He made only two appearances in the AHL. In contrast, Boston's selection of Swayman came just one pick after the Leafs chose Scott.

As Swayman enters his third full season with the Bruins, anticipation builds around his potential to capitalize on the success he achieved alongside partner Linus Ullmark last season, as they clinched the William M. Jennings Trophy.

Source: Nesn

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