Decade of ‘Dogs – Michael Swift
With it being Thursday, we are happy to officially start our weekly Decade of ‘Dogs Summer Series, and who better to begin with than our first captain Michael Swift.
Swift grew up in Peterborough, Ontario and split the majority of his minor career between the Brampton Capitals and the Peterborough Bees, both of the OJHL. After the 2002-2003 season, he was selected in the 10th round, 186th overall by the Mississauga IceDogs in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection draft. Over his four seasons in Mississauga, Swift appeared in 208 games, amassing 73 goals and 183 points.
When the Mississauga IceDogs relocated to Niagara after the 2006-2007 season, Swift followed suit and became the first captain in our new franchise’s history. It was here that Swift experienced his strongest season in the OHL, contributing 38 goals and 100 points over a full 68 game slate. He then followed this up with an additional 18 points in just 10 playoffs game. His strong season did not go unnoticed, and on April 19th, 2008, he was signed to an entry level contract by the New Jersey Devils as a free agent.
Swift would graduate from the OHL ranks and spend the next three seasons in the American Hockey League, first with the affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, before joining the Worcester Sharks following a midseason trade to San Jose. Despite being a strong offensive producer with 117 points in just 194 games, Swift never received a call-up to the NHL and after the expiration of his contract, he decided to make an unconventional career move by signing with High 1, a Korean based team within the Asia League Ice Hockey. Swift has enjoyed strong success across the ocean and is already his team’s all time leader in goals, assists and points. As well, he has finished as the league leader in points in each of the past four seasons.
Michael Swift has enjoyed a hockey path experienced by very few professionals, and has helped to grow the game in not only Korea, but throughout the rest of Asia as well. He has had such a tremendous impact on the development of the sport, that in April of this year it was announced he had earned his Korean citizenship and will be a member of Korea’s Men’s Hockey Team during the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will be held in the capital city of Korea, making him only the second Niagara IceDog in franchise history to play in the Olympic Games. Michael Swift is a proud alumnus of the Niagara IceDogs, and continues to excel in every aspect of his career.
