Brian Swanson was a Chugiak High School student-athlete. He was also a premier hockey player. He played varsity hockey starting with his freshman year. During the time he played, his teams won two state championships and made the semi-finals in a third year. Brian was named Alaska State Player of the year in 1993. He also made the Region IV and the All State teams his sophomore and junior years. During his senior year he left to play junior hockey but returned to graduate from Chugiak High School in the spring of 1994. Brian played junior hockey for two years. During that time he led the team in scoring and was named the team's MVP.

Brian was heavily recruited by top college hockey teams and settled on Colorado College. He graduated from CC with a degree in Psychology. Brian was voted "Rookie of the Year" and was the second leading scorer as a freshman. For the next three years, he was voted the MVP and led Colorado College consistently to the Frozen Four. He was voted a finalist for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award twice. He finished his college career as the second leading scorer in Colorado College history. After college Brian played in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers and Atlanta Thrashers. During he NHL player strike of 2004-2005, he moved to Europe to play hockey where he remains today. Currently, he plays for Nuremberg, Germany. During his summer breaks, he returns to Alaska where he is building a home. He often can be found at the rink in Eagle River giving pointers to the young hockey players.