SPOTLIGHT: Trent Swick
“I remember being at school and watching the clock tick throughout the day because I was so eager to go home and lace up my skates. Even if there was a tournament on the weekend I used to have trouble falling asleep Thursday nights because I was so excited to go out and play.”
Although there wasn’t a specific moment that convinced Junior forward Trent Swick that he wanted to pursue hockey for the long haul, it’s “always been the goal”. Growing up in St. Catherines, Ontario, his hockey journey began on the backyard rink, a familiar beginning to many youth players in southern Ontario. Once learning the basics of the game from his Dad, who built an outdoor rink year in and year out, Swick jumped into organized hockey at the Tyke level. From there, he never looked back.
Despite being a staggering 6-foot-6 stature today and being nicknamed the “Giraffe”, Swick grew up as a smaller kid on the ice, which allowed him to refine his skating, edges, and control of the puck through reps with his Dad, which he held in high regards as a beneficiary to his current game.
“My Dad built that rink every year and has always pushed me to keep going, especially while I was growing up because I had a really fast growth spurt. I was always a small kid growing up and it was very easy to skate and work on the technicalities of my game. As I got taller I found it harder to control the puck and work on my edges, it was a challenge.”
Split between time with the Niagara North Stars and Southern Tier Admirals AAA clubs, minor hockey was a moment that Swick has cherished and an aspect of his life he dearly misses. From Tyke to Midget, he credits his time spent around the rink playing minor hockey as the foundation of his type of playstyle; “very defensive, a threat in front of the net, and a two-hundred player”.
More specifically, the coaching along the way was crucial in successfully accommodating his needs both on and off the ice, while building the confidence within himself to maintain an “elite level of play” at the highest levels. A coach who stood out to Swick was Kevin Rosenborough, who was instrumental throughout the leap to Junior hockey.
“We had some really skilled teams, they were two great organizations and I truly miss being able to play minor hockey. I’ve been extremely lucky with the coaches I’ve had throughout the way, with many playing a big role in getting me where I am today. One specifically was my minor midget coach Kevin Rosenborough. He was a high-level coach and he had helped me tremendously in the transition over to the OHL.”
During his U16 season with the Admirals, Swick had a sensational season, chipping in offensively across the board with 55 total points, 26 goals and 29 assists in just 32 games played. His stellar play was rewarding as the Kitchener Rangers selected him 47th overall in the third round of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. General Manager Mike Mackenzie had found a hidden gem with the 47th pick, selecting Swick who embodied a brilliant hockey mind and could put the puck in the back of the net in numerous different ways.
For Swick, this was the goal from day one. Being drafted to the Rangers was “above and beyond” what he expected and resulted in one of the most “memorable days” of his life. With the drive to Kitchener being under just two hours from St. Catherines, frequent visits from his family have been a normal occurrence, which has held plenty of upside in that regard for the Swick family.
Now playing in his third season with the organization, Swick has evolved through his offensive prowess and effectiveness on the ice as he’s embraced a bigger role with the team since his first season. His playstyle, which is modelled after “Tom Wilson and Mark Scheifele” has allowed him to progressively see more minutes with his dependence on producing points only increasing as more games appear on the calendar.
“In my first year, I was like every first-year player playing on the fourth line. I had to work hard to just earn my minutes and now I’ve paved my way to being a top guy for us and I’m being relied on by my coaches and teammates to produce points for the team.”
Through 11 games this season, Swick has already gotten off to a quick start, tallying 7 points with 3 goals and 4 assists including two goals in a 6-1 win over the Sarnia Sting on Tuesday. On top of adopting a more significant role on the ice, Swick has also flourished into an off-ice leader as a role model for the younger players in the locker room, especially those who are partaking in their first season. Alongside Swick, he notes that teammates Hunter Brzustewicz and Jackson Parsons are two players who have been vocal in “bringing the team together” and paying their dues as valued leaders in the dressing room.
“Coming in I was very nervous and a bunch of the older guys were very nice to me. Now that I’m an older guy, I try to be the same way by hanging out with them as much as I can and making them feel included. If the team is separated and there are different groups then no one will become as good as they want to be.”
The trio enjoy spending time together at the rink and outside of it, even sharing a pre-game ritual among the three of them. Given that they “get along very well”, it’s a common occurrence for Brzustewicz and Parsons to make appearances at the Swick residence on weekends because they are “best buddies.”
“Brzustewicz, Parsons, and I get on the bench and do a prayer before each game. We first do a competition where we throw pucks and the winner gets to say the prayer. I haven’t won yet, so I haven’t had the opportunity to say the prayer, but my time is coming. We get along very well and we are always together, they usually come back to my house every off weekend.”
Swick and the Rangers are off to a scorching hot start winning five of their last six and sitting atop the Midwest Division with an 8-3 record at the time of writing this. The focus shifts to North Bay, who the Rangers will take on at the Aud on Friday night, with Swick noting “We need to continue to work hard, nothing comes easy in this league.”
“We want to continue to be a hard team to play against, we want to win all the battles, capitalize on our chances, and get as many pucks to the net as we can.”
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Written by Evan Doerfler
