Growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Mac Swanson didn’t have many homegrown NHLers to idolize.

But he probably had the best one to look up to.

His dad.

Brian Swanson toiled for 14 years in the professional ranks as a forward, including parts of four campaigns in the early 2000s with the Edmonton Oilers and Atlanta Thrashers.

“Pretty much. I grew up around the rink,” Mac Swanson said. “He was playing overseas in Germany when I was born. Growing up around the rink was pretty fun. Playing knee hockey with his teammates, that’s kind of how I got into the game.”

All time, only 14 players born in the Last Frontier can say they have played a game in the NHL. Mac Swanson would obviously like to be part of that limited fraternity.

The 18-year-old took a step toward that endeavor late last month when the Penguins chose him in the seventh round (No. 207) overall in the NHL Draft.

His selection at such a late stage of the draft was viewed with plenty of intrigue considering the prolific season he just completed in with the United States Hockey League’s Fargo Force.

Posting 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists) in 55 games during the 2023-24 campaign, Swanson claimed the USHL’s player of the year and forward of the year awards while also being named to the league’s first All-Star team.

Oh, there was a postseason too in which he merely claimed the USHL’s playoff MVP by leading the league with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 12 games while spearheading the Force’s run to the Clark Cup championship.

“What he was able to accomplish for our team last year was unbelievable,” said fellow Penguins forward prospect Zam Plante, also a member of the Force. “He’s so smart. He never gets hit. Makes a ton of plays. When we really needed a win, he was the best player on the ice.”

So, why was he not drafted until the seventh round, only 17 picks from the final selection?

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Well, there was a pretty big reason.

He is only 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds.

Even if the NHL of 2024 is far more accommodating to smaller players than it was at the turn of the century when Brian Swanson played, size — or a lack thereof — can still matter in the eyes of scouts.

But Swanson found a way to compensate for any dimensional deficiencies.

“It’s high compete that Mac has,” Penguins director of amateur scouting Nick Pryor said. “The motor that he plays with. It’s the intelligence that he has as well as his skill. If you’re going to draft a (5-foot-7) guy, you want to make sure that he’s competitive. We believe Mac is a competitive player.”

Plante, who was Swanson’s roommate in Fargo, offered a similar scouting report, albeit as it pertains to a different level of the sport.

“Beat him at knee hockey once a week,” said Plante. “He doesn’t like that.”

What Swanson does like is passing. The left-hander’s 51 assists led the USHL last season.

“I’ve always played like that,” said Swanson, who is committed to play at the University of North Dakota next season. “Pretty unselfish growing up. It was definitely my strength. I know that. I’ve got to play that way.”

There isn’t necessarily any one way to play the game at Swanson’s size. But he knows plenty of smaller players similar to him have found a way.

“When you’re watching hockey, I feel like every team has a guy that’s 5-foot-9 or smaller,” Swanson said. “It’s getting more common. I know I can play with anybody (at) my size. (Forward Mats) Zuccarello on the (Minnesota) Wild, he’s probably 5-foot-7. There’s definitely several examples of guys like that.

“You just try to prove people that say you can’t do it wrong.”

Follow the Penguins all season long.

Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.

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