Ken Swayman used to perch his son, Jeremy, on his lap in a backpack as the two of them observed the University of Alaska-Anchorage men’s hockey games with intensity.
Other times, Jeremy squatted on the lap of his older sister, Beth. The blare of the goal horn compelled Ken to routinely cover his infant son’s ears.
While Ken eyeballed the game from their seats behind the net, Jeremy was infatuated with the man patrolling the blue paint. Other kids habitually wailed and banged on the glass whenever a particularly stirring play occurred, but Jeremy remained fixated upon the man who was the last line of defense.