A renewed outlook for MSU forward Johl Swedlo

Minot Daily News

MINOT — Revisiting the glory days from merely a season ago, Johl Swedlo recently decided to spend his time watching full game replays of Minot State’s improbable run to a second national championship at the 2019 ACHA Division I National Tournament. The trip down memory lane helped fill a void of boredom during a time of social isolation and invoked a chance to ponder what could have been for the MSU men’s hockey team had the COVID-19 pandemic not canceled the tournament this season. “It’s pretty fresh in my mind right now because I watched a few games last week,” Swedlo said about last year’s national tournament. “What really sticks out is the Adrian game (in the quarterfinals). That was our most complete game as a team. We played well in all four games, but that Adrian game gave us that confidence for the rest of the tournament.” One of Minot State’s most proficient point producers in program history with 66 goals and 91 assists in 155 ACHA games didn’t find the back of the net during the 2019 national championship run. Although, for a couple of minutes, Swedlo was given credit for what turned out to be the championship-winning goal in the title game against No. 5-seeded Iowa State. “I made a move around a defenseman and just wanted to get the puck to the net,” Swedlo said. “I fell behind the net, and all I see is Shain (Scheschuk) come in and poke the pad. I saw the puck go in, and I raised my arms. I was so happy. It felt like I was back on the ice as a 3- or 4-year-old scoring a goal on my backyard rink. It was surreal.” Upon further review, Scheschuk was rightfully given the goal. But, more importantly, there was a sigh of relief that the goal even counted. The No. 6-seeded Beavers faced the same situation with a different outcome in the national semifinals when they had an insurance goal disallowed for goaltender interference. Iowa State pleaded for a similar ruling. Instead, the official signaled a good goal. Swedlo happily took the assist, and the Murdoch Cup soon after. “When I saw they were going to review it, I thought, ‘This can’t be a repeat of last night,'” Swedlo said. “I just kept turning and shaking my head. ‘Don’t be a repeat. Don’t be a repeat.’ When I saw the ref come out and point to center ice, I was ecstatic. We now felt like this was our game — this was our cup. We aren’t going to give this lead up.” Waywayseecappo pipeline Swedlo’s journey to Minot State was, in his words, “an odd one.” Like most Canadian hockey players, Swedlo bounced around and played for a handful of teams and leagues growing up. The final junior hockey stop for the native of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, was with the extremely long-winded Waywayseecappo Wolverines in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). Swedlo spent three seasons with Waywayseecappo, a team funded by an Indian Reservation that is roughly three hours north of Minot. The middle of nowhere, as some would say. “One of my top scouts told me, ‘Wade, if you get players who have played at Wayway, then that means they love hockey,'” MSU head coach Wade Regier said. “If you’re a diva, or a player who is really picky, or a big-city kid who has played in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Vancouver or any big city and then you get traded to Wayway. Well, the chances are, they didn’t want to go there.” Those who decide to stick around, like Swedlo, earn this inherent reputation as hard-working, humble kids who love the game of hockey. Exactly the type of characteristics Regier is looking for in recruits. So, it’s no surprise that Swedlo wasn’t the first nor the last signing that Minot State has brought in from Waywayseecappo. The growing list over the last few seasons includes the likes of Craig Fournier, Dylan Gedjos, Rhett Lough, Landyn Cochrane, Wayde Johannesson, Riley Vautour and Morgan Poirier. Swedlo played with the first five players named on this list. Also, before getting to MSU, Swedlo was junior hockey teammates with former Beavers’ Robby Moar and Derrick Brooks during his time with the Central Plains Capitals, and then Bryce and Lyndon Lipinski with the Portage Terriers. “I knew a lot of guys that were playing in Minot,” Swedlo said. “I just kept reaching out and asking them questions. ‘What’s it like? Is it fun? What are the guys like? How is the school?’ I stayed in contact and eventually had a one-on-one meeting with Wade. He asked if I was interested, and I said yes.” Familiarity breeds success Entering a new locker room at Minot State wasn’t as scary as Swedlo thought it was going to be since he already had former teammates and friends by his side. It smoothed over the transition period. “I knew what they liked and could joke around with them and stuff,” Swedlo said. “I didn’t have to worry about making a whole lot of new friendships right away. Obviously, everyone in the room was great. But knowing a few guys helped me feel more comfortable on and off the ice.” Those connections are invaluable. “It’s everything,” Regier said. “Look at our roster. I’d guess 21-22 of our 26 players are somewhat connected — either they played with somebody or played against them before getting here. That’s huge for our success.” Regier often utilizes the advice gathered from his current players, almost like inside scouts, to help determine which players to bring in. Not only does that sort of networking bring players like Swedlo in, but it also helps build a cohesive team rather quickly. Swedlo produced admirably as a freshman with 14 goals and 13 assists. That started a trend of Swedlo finishing with double-digit goals and assists in all four seasons. Regardless of how people want to describe his play style, the team leaned on Swedlo to produce. “I’m going to get some backlash on this one, but I’d say I was more of a power forward,” Swedlo said. “But, as I developed, I was relied on to put some offense on the board. I still see myself as a power forward because I wasn’t afraid to go into corners, get in front of the net or block shots. I was there to play both ends of the ice.” During the 2019-20 season, Swedlo led the Beavers with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists). Behind the scenes, Swedlo was also a de facto captain at the start of the season when Blake Fournier was out injured. “Johl (Swedlo) was the guy, and turned into our unofficial captain at that point,” Regier said. “So, as much as Johl was our leading scorer this year, he killed penalties for us, he quarterbacked the power play and was our Mr. Everything.” Curtain comes down Swedlo vividly remembers the moment when his collegiate career came to an end. “We got a text from Wade saying, ‘Don’t get dressed (for practice), we are going to have a team meeting,'” he recalled. “That’s when we found out that we weren’t going to be able to defend our national championship. I took it very hard at first. Looking around the room, I couldn’t look at any of the guys eye-to-eye because I was starting to tear up looking at them. I started thinking about this being the last time I was going to be in this room with this group of guys. I wish this wasn’t the way it ended.” Swedlo wanted his final send-off to be three weeks later, as the Beavers celebrated another championship with the fans at Maysa Arena. Instead, three weeks later, Swedlo was home watching reruns. Besides getting some buddies together and hitting up the nearby pond or rink, Swedlo’s competitive hockey days are likely behind him. He has a job lined up at an accounting firm in his hometown of Portage la Prairie and wants to obtain his CPA in the coming months as well. Life moves on. Swedlo thanked the city of Minot and Minot State, from the athletic trainers to his teammates to the coaching staff to the fans to the community as a whole, and gave this final piece of departing advice. “Don’t take anything for granted,” Swedlo said. “Any single moment could be your last. Work each day because you never know when it’s going to be over.”