Bryce Swan at a recent St. FX X-Men game. Photo: Trevor Howlett
NHL draftee Swan lands at St. FX
Former Anaheim Ducks draft pick Bryce Swan balances his hockey career with academic life.
(0)In some ways, Bryce Swan is a regular varsity hockey player. The 22-year-old is a second-year business student at St. Francis Xavier University, and he balances a full course load with daily sessions at the gym and practises with his X-Men teammates.
But in other ways, he's not. Unlike most varsity athletes, the Alder Point, N.S., native has a professional hockey pedigree. A high 2006 draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, he declined two contracts from the team, saying he didn't feel there was enough opportunity for him to play in the National Hockey League.
"I felt they didn't see me in their future plans," he said. "I didn't want to be thrown into a system where I'd be thrown out."
A gritty power forward by trade, Swan has also attended training camps with the Minnesota Wild and the Detroit Red Wings. Minnesota also courted him with a contract to play on their farm team in the American Hockey League, which he declined.
Enlarge Image
Photo: Trevor Howlett
Related Stories
Notable CIS grads
- Mike Ridley, 866 games played, 292 goals, 466 assists, 758 points
- Steve Rucchin, 735 games played, 171 goals, 318 assists, 489 points
- Cory Cross, 659 games played, 34 goals, 97 assists, 131 points
- PJ Stock, 235 games played, 5 goals, 21 assists, 26 points
- Joel Ward, 104 games played, 19 goals, 22 assists, 41 points
Related Websites
"I played my heart out (in Minnesota)," he said, "And it was a great offer, but I said that if I got an AHL deal I wouldn't leave school. Too much could happen."
Instead, Swan took his skills to the Canadian Interuniversity Sports league, landing a scholarship at St. FX. It's a decision that enabled him to develop his hockey skills while obtaining an education.
And while he is still pursuing the bright lights of the major leagues - "every player dreams of playing in the pros," he says - he has made his priorities clear.
"You need an education to do anything today," he said. "And being here on a scholarship - a lot of people don't get this chance."
CIS hockey "no longer a secret"
Still, Swan's hockey career follows an unconventional path. Although the 18-team CIS has produced several pros, such as ex-Ducks scorer Steve Rucchin and former Bruins enforcer and current Hockey Night in Canada commentator P.J. Stock, the league doesn't ensure success in the NHL ranks.
CIS statistician Michel Belanger says only one CIS graduate, Nashville Predators sophomore Joel Ward, currently plays in the NHL, although many more play in developmental leagues such as the East Coast Hockey League and the AHL.
In contrast, according to a report published by independent news website The College Hockey News, nearly a third of NHL players possess some National Collegiate Athletic Association experience, including stars such as Dany Heatley, Ryan Miller and Tomas Vanek. Currently, the 58 hockey teams in the NCAA boast more than 140 NHL draftees.
But Brad Peddle, Swan's current coach and a five-year veteran bench boss, says the quality of hockey played by the CIS rivals the NCAA's.
"The NCAA has a wealth of (NHL) picks," he says. "And we play those teams every year. For the most part, our teams fare well - they compete."
Further, players such as Swan, who played professional junior hockey in the Canadian Hockey League with the Halifax Mooseheads, aren't eligible for the NCAA. It only recruits amateur athletes, forcing young players to make an early decision between attending a U.S. college or fast-tracking their route to the NHL by playing professional junior hockey.
Swan says the CIS, on the other hand, provides former CHL players the option to continue playing hockey after their minor-pro career is over while getting an education.
"If you look at CIS rosters, the majority come from the CHL," he said.
And Swan says NHL teams are starting to notice the league's talent. Along with fellow 2007 Anaheim draftee Brett Morrison, he says three other X-Men players have been invited to NHL development camps.
"It's not a secret anymore, CIS hockey is good hockey," said Peddle.
Looking beyond the rink
Coach Peddle says that while the CIS is an excellent developmental league for players, the university education that accompanies it prepares them for life after hockey.
"You're a person a lot longer than you're a hockey player," he said.
And Swan agrees. He says that getting a degree puts him in the best position to support himself and his family - regardless of his fate in hockey.
"You're preparing for the next 40 years of your life, not the next four," he said. "It's a great opportunity to prepare myself for the future."
While most 21-year old draftees have tunnel vision towards the big leagues, Swan says that neglecting an education is shortsighted.
"A lot of guys who played pro or in the minors have said if they could have done it differently, they would have went to school," he said. "They don't have much now that they're done playing hockey. It's an opportunity to take very seriously."
Comments on this story are now closed