William Joseph Sweatt (born September 21, 1988) is an American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
left winger
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
. He played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) with the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
before playing in the
Swedish Hockey League
The Swedish Hockey League (officially SHL; sv, Svenska Hockeyligan) is a professional ice hockey league, and the highest division in the Swedish ice hockey system. The league currently consists of 14 teams. The league was founded in 1975, an ...
(SHL).
Sweatt played
junior hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
with the
United States National Development Program and
college hockey
College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America.
In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the g ...
with the
Colorado College Tigers
The Colorado College Tigers are composed of 16 teams representing Colorado College in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track and field. Men's sports in ...
. Selected 38th overall in the
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, on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007. The draft ...
by the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
, he became a free agent after going unsigned by the club. In 2010, he signed with the Canucks. 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
Walter Lee Sweatt (born August 13, 1985) 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 (NHL) in 2011, bef ...
is a former hockey player; the two played with each other with the
Colorado College Tigers
The Colorado College Tigers are composed of 16 teams representing Colorado College in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track and field. Men's sports in ...
and the
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets o ...
.
Early life
Sweatt was born in
Elburn, Illinois
Elburn is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,602 as of the 2010 census, up from 2,756 at the 2000 census. It is located at the intersection of Illinois Route 38 and Route 47. Elburn is a town situated west ...
, a village west of Chicago. He played
minor ice hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from cla ...
with his older brother
Lee, in
Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located o ...
. As a youth, he played in the 2002
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
with the Chicago Young Americans team. His father was a former
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
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.
[
]
Playing career
Sweatt joined the U.S. National Under-18 Team in 2004–05. After two seasons with the program, he joined the college ranks with the Colorado College Tigers
The Colorado College Tigers are composed of 16 teams representing Colorado College in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track and field. Men's sports in ...
of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated a ...
(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
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007. The draft ...
by the Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
. 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
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
on June 30, 2010, along with forward Kris Versteeg
Kristopher Royce Versteeg (born May 13, 1986) is a Canadian entrepreneur and former professional ice hockey winger. During his career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hur ...
. 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
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
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
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL) affiliate the Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets o ...
. Together, they became the first pair of brothers to play at the same time for the franchise. Moose head coach Claude Noel Claude may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People and fictional characters
* Claude (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Claude (surname), a list of people
* Claude Lorrain (c. 1600–1682), French landscape painter, draughtsman and etch ...
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 Sergeyevich Shirokov (russian: Серге́й Серге́евич Широков, ; born 10 March 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey winger currently with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Prior ...
), 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
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
, Lee announced his retirement shortly thereafter.
During the Canucks' 2011 training camp, Sweatt was injured during a prospects tournament in Penticton, British Columbia
Penticton ( ) is a city in the Okanagan, Okanagan Valley of the British Columbia Interior, Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan Lake, Okanagan and Skaha Lake, Skaha lakes. In the 2016 Canadian Census, its pop ...
, causing him to miss the team's first two pre-season games in September. After being assigned to the Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League and are the top minor-league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the C ...
, the Canucks' new AHL affiliate, to start the season, he received his first NHL call-up on December 7, 2011. Making his NHL debut the following night against the Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
, he registered two shots on goal and one hit in six minutes and eighteen seconds of ice time; Vancouver won the game 4–3. On March 31, 2013, Sweatt and Nicklas Jensen
Nicklas Jensen (born 6 March 1993) is a Danish ice hockey winger. He is currently playing for SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League (NL).
After beginning his career with Danish team Herning Blue Fox at the junior and men's level, Je ...
were recalled from the Wolves by the Canucks.
On July 9, 2013, with his rights still owned by the Canucks, Sweatt signed his first European contract on a one-year contract in Sweden with Brynäs IF
Brynäs IF is a Swedish ice hockey team from Gävle. The club currently plays in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the top tier of ice hockey in Sweden. The club has played in the top-tier league since 1960, longer than any other team.
History ...
of the Swedish Hockey League
The Swedish Hockey League (officially SHL; sv, Svenska Hockeyligan) is a professional ice hockey league, and the highest division in the Swedish ice hockey system. The league currently consists of 14 teams. The league was founded in 1975, an ...
(SHL).
Sweatt played the next five seasons in the SHL, opting to end his eight-year professional career and return to North America, following the 2017–18 season with HV71
HV71 (), often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the first tier of Swedish ice hockey. The team played in the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League s ...
.
International play
Sweatt was named Top Forward at the IIHF
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 m ...
Under-18 World Championships in 2006,[ where the United States won gold. He also participated in the ]2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2007 WJHC'') was the 2007 edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Ar ...
for the US, coming home with a bronze medal. While playing roller hockey, Sweatt won a gold medal at the 2006 World InLine Championships.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweatt, Bill
1988 births
Living people
American men's ice hockey left wingers
Brynäs IF players
Chicago Blackhawks draft picks
Chicago Wolves players
Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey players
HV71 players
Ice hockey players from Illinois
Inline hockey players
Luleå HF players
Manitoba Moose players
Sportspeople from Kane County, Illinois
Vancouver Canucks players
American expatriate sportspeople in Sweden