Anchorage’s Mac Swanson lands with Pittsburgh Penguins in 7th round of NHL Draft

Anchorage hockey player Mac Swanson was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday, making him the latest Alaskan to get a chance to compete at the highest level of the sport.

“It’s definitely a huge honor to be selected in the NHL draft,” Swanson told the Daily News in an emailed statement. “Pittsburgh certainly is a great place to play hockey and I’m excited for the opportunity. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to be picked. I’ve heard nothing but excellent things about the organization which makes me excited about the opportunity.”

The 18-year-old forward is fresh off a sensational 2023-24 season, in which he led the Fargo Force of the USHL on a Clark Cup championship run and earned league and playoff MVP honors.

At 5 feet, 8 inches tall and 175 pounds, what Swanson lacks in size, he more than makes for with elite passing, scoring prowess and high hockey intelligence on the ice. He led the USHL with 51 assists and added 26 goals to finish third overall in points during the regular season and didn’t let up in the playoffs, where his 17 points were seven more than the next highest skater.

[Fast-track Mac: Anchorage hockey sensation Mac Swanson continues to thrive at each level]

Swanson hails from Alaska hockey royalty as the son of Brian Swanson, who also starred in the USHL and at the collegiate level — at Colorado College — before going on to play in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers and Atlanta Thrashers. Before eventually retiring from professional hockey, he played in the ECHL and was a captain of his former hometown franchise, the Alaska Aces.

Penguins fans and all of Mac Swanson’s friends, family and supporters back home will have to wait at least a year to see him potentially take the ice as a pro, as he is committed to play at University of North Dakota next season.

“I think he’s going to be a professional hockey player and he’s going to have a long pro career,” Fargo Force head coach Brett Skinner said prior to the draft. “His approach every day and his mindset is going to allow him the chance to be a pro one day.”

Swanson said Saturday that he “couldn’t have done it without my family who have been there every single step of the way.”

“They have sacrificed so much for me to make it this far in my hockey journey,” he said.