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JUNE/JULY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 31 ETERAN HOCKEY COACH RED GENDRON speaks English, French and a little bit of Russian. One language he doesn't speak is goalie. So the more he stays out of the conversations with his goalies the better off he thinks his teams will be. When it came to the development of his star goalie, Jeremy Swayman, Gendron turned things over to those in the know, like his goalie coach at the University of Maine, Alfie Michaud. Fortunately, Gendron found other ways of con- necting with Swayman, who made the 4,400-mile trek from his home in Anchorage, Alaska, to play for Gendron's Black Bears in Orono, Maine. "Because I've had the good fortune to visit Alaska on more than one occasion, we could talk about the Turnagain Arm or moose coming down from the Chugach Range in the morning foraging for food, things that I had had an opportunity to experience during my visits to Anchorage," Gendron said. "We were able to develop a relationship in that way. For me, the only thing I had to pay attention to as far as his hockey was concerned was his work habits, and that was never an issue for Jeremy." Appealing to Swayman's love of the outdoors is what stood out during the sales pitch from the Maine coaching staff to their young prospect. "I talked to a few teams at the USHL Fall Classic and then the University of Maine came in and I don't think we talked one word about hockey," he said. "The whole conversation was about the great hiking trails they have around campus and the great fishing spots around Orono. I think someone must've tipped them off that I was a big nature guy." It wasn't just the flora and fauna that sold Swayman on moving to Orono. Over the years the program has produced a long list of goalies who have gone onto long careers in the NHL, including Garth Snow, Mike Dunham, Jimmy Howard and Ben Bishop as well as Michaud. "That was a big factor for me," he said. "I knew that I wanted to go to a place where goaltending was a priority and the development of goal- ies and success of goalies was obviously relevant. I looked in the history books and seeing some great names that this was the place for me." Swayman wasn't on many teams' radar when he came out of A n c h o r a g e . He e a r n e d a s p ot i n U S A Ho c ke y N a t i o n a l P l ay e r Development Camp as a 16-year-old but didn't make the 17 camp. Rather than feel sorry for himself, he used the disappointment as motivation to work even harder on his game. "I was definitely a late bloomer both physically as well as mentally so that definitely was a motivational tool," he said. "When I was getting those bumps in the road it was the way I responded that made the dif- ference, and that doesn't come without the great mentors and coaches that I've had throughout my life. Without those hiccups I wouldn't be anywhere near to where I am today." Swayman's collegiate hockey journey may have been the road less traveled but his three years with the Black Bears were well worth it as he was honored this season with the Mike Richter Award as college hockey's top goalie. "It's an incredible honor and I know that I'm joining elite company," said Swayman, who also the runner-up to University of Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich for the Hobey Baker Award. "It didn't seem real until it finally happens. Now that it's official and everything 's done, it's definitely cool to take a breath and look back on the accomplishment." The postseason honors were well deserved for the goalie who faced more shots and made more saves than anyone else in Div. I college hockey this season. Swayman faced 1,170 shots and made 1,099 saves to lead the nation in both statistical categories. His .939 save per- centage was the second-best in the nation and his 2.07 goals-against average was the 14th best. His 18-11-5 record included three shutouts, including a 48-save performance in a 1-0 win over Providence in his final college game. Days later, the 21-year-old junior signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins, the team that chose him in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. "I talked with all of my mentors and coaches and they agreed that I did what I needed to do at the college level," Swayman said. "Having confidence is key to going to the next level, so I'm going to take the summer and make sure that I'm doing everything I can to prepare for my first pro season. At the end of the day, my job is to stop the puck and I couldn't be more excited to do that." Now the real learning begins in earnest. Staked with the knowledge and experience he's gained along the way, Swayman approaches the next step on his hockey journey with a healthy dose of humility mixed in with a little bit of hubris, two qualities that will serve him well in the professional arena. "There's competition out there but the greatest competition is with yourself. If you're not going to push yourself and instill work habits that are going to help you get to the next level it's going to be tough," he said. V "It didn't seem real until it finally happens. Now that it's official and everything's done, it's definitely cool to take a breath and look back on the accomplishment. — J E R E M Y SWAY M A N PHOTOS BY Getty Images; University of Maine