Jeremy Swayman could become the fourth University of Maine goalie to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic hockey team.
The Boston Bruins goalie was one of four netminders invited to the U.S. Olympic team’s orientation camp in Plymouth, Michigan, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
If Swayman makes the team, he would join Garth Snow (1994), Mike Dunham (1994) and Jimmy Howard (2014) on the list of former Black Bears who have gone on to play goalie for the U.S. Olympic team.
The other goalies with Swayman at the camp in Michigan are Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars and Joey Daccord of the Seattle Kraken.
Swayman, Hellebuyck and Oettinger all played in Hockey East. Hellebuyck played at UMass Lowell, and Oettinger at Boston University.
Hellebuyck won the trophies for best goalie, most valuable player and fewest goals allowed this past season in the NHL.
The final Olympic team roster will be announced in January. The Olympics will be held in Italy from Feb. 6-22.
The 26-year-old Swayman had his worst season as a pro this past campaign. But he rebounded dramatically to lead the United States to its first gold medal in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships since 1933 in May in Sweden and Denmark.
Swayman went 7-0 with a 1.69 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage in that tournament. He posted two shutouts, including a 25-save shutout in the 1-0 overtime win over Switzerland in the gold medal game.
The Anchorage, Alaska, native sat out training camp due to a contract dispute this past season with the Bruins and finished the season with a 22-29-7 record, a 3.11 GAA and a .892 save percentage.
He has a career record of 101-62-22 with a 2.58 GAA and a .910 save percentage. He has 16 career shutouts.
Swayman won the Mike Richter Award given to the nation’s best college goalie in his third and final season at UMaine in 2019-20. He was an All-American and one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which goes to the country’s best player.
He was 18-11-5 with a 2.07 GAA and a .939 save percentage.
Swayman was a fourth round draft choice of the Bruins in 2017. He was the 111th player selected.
