Bill Sweatt
Encyclopedia
Bill Sweatt is an American
ice hockey
left winger
who currently plays within the Vancouver Canucks
organization of the National Hockey League
(NHL). As a roller hockey
player, Sweatt has competed internationally with Team USA, winning a gold medal at the 2006 World InLine Championships
. His older brother Lee Sweatt
is a retired hockey player; the two have played with each other with the Colorado College Tigers and the Manitoba Moose
.
, a village west of Chicago
. He played minor hockey with his older brother Lee
, in Highland Park, Illinois
. His father was a former football
player, while his mother was a hockey fan. Growing up, the family lived in the country and had a paved basement, where the brothers played roller hockey
.
in 2004–05. After two seasons with the program, he joined the college ranks with the Colorado College Tigers
of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
(WCHA). During his freshman year, Sweatt skated alongside Lee, who was finishing up his college career with Colorado as a senior defenceman. Following a 26-point effort over 30 games, Sweatt was selected 38th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
by the Chicago Blackhawks
. He returned to Colorado to complete his NCAA career, which culminated in a college career-high 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points over 39 games as a senior in 2009–10.
In the off-season, Sweatt was traded from the Blackhawks to the Toronto Maple Leafs
on June 30, 2010, along with forward Kris Versteeg
. Opting not to sign with Toronto, he became a free agent on August 16, 2010. Three days later, he signed a three-year, entry level contract with the Vancouver Canucks
worth US$
2.7 million, plus performance bonuses. Sweatt joined his brother Lee
in the Canucks organization, who had been signed by the team three months prior.
Following the pre-season, the Canucks assigned both Sweatt brothers to their American Hockey League
(AHL) affiliate the Manitoba Moose
. Together, they became the first pair of brothers to play at the same time for the franchise. Moose head coach Claude Noel
described Sweatt in his professional rookie season as a physical player who can forecheck quickly and make plays. Sweatt recorded 46 points (19 goals and 27 assists) over 80 games, ranking second in team-scoring (12 behind winger Sergei Shirokov
), as well as ninth among league rookies. During the off-season, Lee was left unsigned by the Canucks organization, splitting the brothers up. Despite signing with the Ottawa Senators
, Lee announced his retirement shortly thereafter.
During the Canucks' 2011 training camp, Sweatt was injured during a prospects tournament in Penticton, British Columbia
, causing him to miss the team's first two pre-season games in September.
Under-18 World Championships in 2006
, where the United States won gold. He also participated in the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
for the US, coming home with a bronze medal. While playing roller hockey, Sweatt won a gold medal at the 2006 World InLine Championships
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
left winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who currently plays within the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
organization of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). As a roller hockey
Roller hockey
Roller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
player, Sweatt has competed internationally with Team USA, winning a gold medal at the 2006 World InLine Championships
2006 IIHF Men's InLine Hockey World Championship
The 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships is the 11th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. It took place between July 10 and July 16, 2006.The preliminary round will be played in 4 groups with 4 teams each...
. His older brother Lee Sweatt
Lee Sweatt
Walter Lee Sweatt is an American former professional ice hockey player. Sweatt played four years of professional hockey in Europe and North America. Sweatt played three games in the National Hockey League in 2011, before retiring to work in the financial industry...
is a retired hockey player; the two have played with each other with the Colorado College Tigers and the Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...
.
Early life
Sweatt was born in Elburn, IllinoisElburn, Illinois
Elburn is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,751 as of 2006. It is located at the intersection of Illinois Route 38 and Route 47...
, a village west of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He played minor hockey with his older brother Lee
Lee Sweatt
Walter Lee Sweatt is an American former professional ice hockey player. Sweatt played four years of professional hockey in Europe and North America. Sweatt played three games in the National Hockey League in 2011, before retiring to work in the financial industry...
, in Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
. His father was a former football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, while his mother was a hockey fan. Growing up, the family lived in the country and had a paved basement, where the brothers played roller hockey
Roller hockey
Roller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
.
Playing career
Sweatt joined the U.S. National Under-18 TeamUSA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
in 2004–05. After two seasons with the program, he joined the college ranks with the Colorado College Tigers
Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey
The Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Colorado College. The Tigers are a member of Western Collegiate Hockey Association...
of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
(WCHA). During his freshman year, Sweatt skated alongside Lee, who was finishing up his college career with Colorado as a senior defenceman. Following a 26-point effort over 30 games, Sweatt was selected 38th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
2007 NHL Entry Draft
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007...
by the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. He returned to Colorado to complete his NCAA career, which culminated in a college career-high 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points over 39 games as a senior in 2009–10.
In the off-season, Sweatt was traded from the Blackhawks to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on June 30, 2010, along with forward Kris Versteeg
Kris Versteeg
Kris Versteeg is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
. Opting not to sign with Toronto, he became a free agent on August 16, 2010. Three days later, he signed a three-year, entry level contract with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
worth US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2.7 million, plus performance bonuses. Sweatt joined his brother Lee
Lee Sweatt
Walter Lee Sweatt is an American former professional ice hockey player. Sweatt played four years of professional hockey in Europe and North America. Sweatt played three games in the National Hockey League in 2011, before retiring to work in the financial industry...
in the Canucks organization, who had been signed by the team three months prior.
Following the pre-season, the Canucks assigned both Sweatt brothers to their American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL) affiliate the Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...
. Together, they became the first pair of brothers to play at the same time for the franchise. Moose head coach Claude Noel
Claude Noel
Claude Noël is a former Canadian ice hockey player and the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. Prior to joining Winnipeg, he was head coach of the Manitoba Moose of the AHL...
described Sweatt in his professional rookie season as a physical player who can forecheck quickly and make plays. Sweatt recorded 46 points (19 goals and 27 assists) over 80 games, ranking second in team-scoring (12 behind winger Sergei Shirokov
Sergei Shirokov
Sergei Sergeyevich Shirokov is a Russian professional ice hockey winger currently with HC CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League . Drafted 163rd overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, he is a prospect for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
), as well as ninth among league rookies. During the off-season, Lee was left unsigned by the Canucks organization, splitting the brothers up. Despite signing with the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Lee announced his retirement shortly thereafter.
During the Canucks' 2011 training camp, Sweatt was injured during a prospects tournament in Penticton, British Columbia
Penticton, British Columbia
Penticton is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan and Skaha Lakes. Its 2010 population was 37,721 .-Name origin:...
, causing him to miss the team's first two pre-season games in September.
International play
Sweatt was named Top Forward at the IIHFInternational Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
Under-18 World Championships in 2006
2006 IIHF World U18 Championships
The 2006 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Ängelholm and Halmstad, Sweden. The championships began on April 12, 2006 and finished on April 22, 2006. Games were played at Ängelholms Ishall in Ängelholm and Sannarps Isstadion in Halmstad...
, where the United States won gold. He also participated in the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 2007 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Arena in Mora, and Ejendals Arena in Leksand...
for the US, coming home with a bronze medal. While playing roller hockey, Sweatt won a gold medal at the 2006 World InLine Championships
2006 IIHF Men's InLine Hockey World Championship
The 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships is the 11th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. It took place between July 10 and July 16, 2006.The preliminary round will be played in 4 groups with 4 teams each...
.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2004–05 | U.S. National Under-18 Team USA Hockey National Team Development Program The National Team Development Program was started in 1996 by USA Hockey as a way to identify elite ice hockey players in the country under the age of 18, and centralize their training. There are two teams in the program, an Under-17 squad and an Under-18 squad. The teams are both based in Ann... |
NAHL | 41 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | U.S. National Under-18 Team | NAHL | 17 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Colorado College Colorado College The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell... |
NCAA | 30 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Colorado College | NCAA | 37 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Colorado College | NCAA | 37 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Colorado College | NCAA | 39 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010-11 | Manitoba Moose Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
80 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 28 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| AHL Totals | 80 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 28 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||||