Feature Story

A homegrown pro: Cottage Grove’s Scott Swanson

 

By Andrew Vitalis

 

(Editor’s note: For each edition of Let’s Play Hockey in the 2008-09 season, contributing writer Andrew Vitalis will be catching up with a Minnesota-grown current or former minor league hockey player.)

 

Tori Holt, Colorado Eagles play-by-play voice, remembers a conversation he had regarding Scott Swanson.

“I was talking to Tyler Arnason (current Colorado Avalanche forward),” remembered Holt. “I picked him up from the airport and he was looking over our (Eagles) roster and he saw Swanson’s name. He was like, ‘Scott Swanson! I thought he would be one of the top four defensemen in the NHL.’”

Arnason wasn’t the only one with high praise. When Swanson graduated from Colorado College in 1999, everyone was convinced the Cottage Grove, Minn., native would continue his high-scoring ways in the pros. Riding a four-year high that culminated with a first team All-America selection in 1999, Swanson considered himself a can’t-miss. Unfortunately, the Washington Capitals, who selected Swanson in the ninth round of the 1995 draft, didn’t necessarily see things the same way.

“I was kind of in a state of confusion,” remarked Swanson. “I was drafted by Washington. I remember the Hockey News came out with their ratings of each team’s farm system and their player ratings. They had me listed as the top prospect in the entire Washington organization. I was shocked, but at the same time, we couldn’t get a contract signed.”

So what was standing in the way? It’s a familiar term, especially this time of year…politics. Despite three All-WCHA seasons where he scored an average of 39 points per year, Swanson was quickly and not-so-quietly introduced to the business side of the game. And he didn’t like it.

“I found out later that Washington’s general manager at the time and my agent didn’t get along,” remembered Swanson. “I mean, they just didn’t like each other. The mindset back then was to go to Houston (IHL), play well and hopefully I would get a contract or another team would see me play and trade for me.”

That’s exactly what Swanson did, however, the points didn’t come as fast as they had come before. After one season with Houston, Swanson moved onto the ECHL where he strapped up his skates for South Carolina. Unfortunately, with things going well, Swanson suffered through another aspect of the game he hadn’t dealt with before…injuries. Swanson’s right knee went 22 games in.

“It was a really frustrating time,” mentioned Swanson. “Even before I hurt my knee, I remember the road trips when I was playing with Springfield really getting to me. Those trips where you hop on a bus and you play three games in three nights in three different cities. That’s when it kind of hit me. I realized that there had to be more to it. After I blew out my knee, I realized that I would rather play and have fun doing it, even if it was at a lower level.”

To this day, Swanson points out that the knee injury changed his life. With a new outlook on the game, Swanson moved on, this time to Idaho where he played with the Idaho Steelheads of the WCHL for two seasons. There, Swanson found his scoring touch again, in addition to his love for the game. During the 2002-03 campaign, Swanson netted 69 points in 66 games.

At the top of his game, Swanson then took part in the inaugural season for the Colorado Eagles of the CHL in 2003-04, scoring 42 points in 53 games. Swanson’s play even earned him a call-up to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL for one final go around.

On July 21, 2004, Swanson officially announced his retirement. When it was all said in done, dating back to his time with the Omaha Lancers in the USHL, Swanson racked up 437 points in 11 seasons. As a pro, Swanson tallied 184 points in 293 games. He scored to the very end, and he did it on his terms.

“I certainly didn’t miss out on much,” smiled Swanson, when asked about his hockey career. “It made the whole journey a lot more interesting and fun, that’s for sure. I had some great accomplishments and some great disappointments. But even when I think back on the disappointments, I know they happened for a reason. I mean, think about it this way, if I hadn’t busted up my knee, I would’ve never met my wife. I look back at never getting a chance to sign with Washington, but if I would’ve signed back then, I probably would’ve never come here to Colorado and met my wife. Call it what you want, I guess I call it fate.”

A Colorado resident, Swanson has kept a firm grasp on the game of hockey, now as a color analyst for the Colorado Eagles. It a unique position for Swanson., who has experienced almost every end of the spectrum the game of hockey can provide. Not only does he help relate the game to the viewers, but more importantly, it gives him an opportunity to help introduce some of the Eagle players to the game…the real game. Now that’s fate.

“I can put myself in their shoes. The great thing about this organization (Colorado Eagles) is that they give a lot of good, young kids a chance and that’s great,” remarked Swanson. “I get an opportunity to share some of my experiences with them. I think the biggest piece of advice that I try to give is, don’t look at that brass ring as the end-all, be-all. Look at it as an option and if you get there, great. But if you don’t get there, you’re no less of a person.”

 

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