Bruins Prospect Swayman Wins Mike Richter Award

Minnesota Duluth junior defenseman Scott Perunovich took home the 2020 Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey but Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist and Boston Bruins goalie prospect Jeremy Swayman did win the 2020 Mike Richter Award as the best goalie in NCAA Division 1 Hockey this season. Swayman also was named to the CCM/AHCA All-American First Team.

Swayman was 18-11-5 with a 2.07 GAA and .939 save percentage that was second-best in the nation. He also led the NCAA with 1,099 saves. Swayman – who was already named the 2019-20 Hockey East Player of the Year – became the first University of Maine goalie to win the Mike Richter Award. The Anchorage, Alaska native, who signed with the Bruins last month, led the Hockey East in saves (782), save percentage (.932) and tied for the lead in shutouts (3). His 12 wins tied for second in the conference. The junior netminder made 782 saves, the 10th most of any goaltender in league history and the highest single-season total since 2010-11. Swayman also had the fourth-best GAA at 2.27. 

The Bruins’ 2017 fourth round draft pick was the first goalie to be named the outright Hockey East Player of the Year since Northeastern’s Brad Theissen in 2008-09. Boston College netminder Thatcher Demko and UMass Lowell’s Kevin Boyle split the award in 2015-16.

Swayman had 25 games of at least 30 saves this season, including five outings with at least 40 stops. The Black Bears’ backstop helped his team to the fourth-seed in the Hockey East tournament by posting three shutouts over their final six games of the regular season, including a 48-save shutout in a 1-0 win in the season finale. Swayman made 30 saves or more in 25 games this season and had five games with 40 stops or more. With three shutouts – including a brilliant 48-save performance in a 1-0 win in the final game of the season – Swayman backstopped the Black Bears to the fourth-seed in the Hockey East playoffs which were unfortunately canceled by the Coronavirus outbreak.