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After 13 Seasons, Brothers Jack & Nick Swiontek End Their Skate As Teammates

By Ross Forman, 01/29/25, 6:45PM CST

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They long played street hockey in an alley near their home. Nick Swiontek would rip shots at his twin brother, Jack, often at head-level with an old plastic ball and Jack wore a street hockey goalie set that protected, oh, about 15 percent of his body, if that.

Competition has driven their brotherly love. “We have always competed on the ice and it has made me a better player all-around,” Jack said. “I help him compete, giving him constructive criticism to improve his game and help our team.”

Nick and Jack Swiontek are Leyden teammates – Jack is the goalie; Nick is a forward. The Eagles are 9-8-2 in the Varsity Gold League of the IHSHL North-Central Division, a co-op of players from Leyden, Ridgewood, Elmwood Park, Niles North and Niles West High Schools.

Nick and Jack have been teammates for 13 seasons.

“He always helps me stress less, laughing with me in between every period,” said Jack, who recalls winning a tournament title in Madison, Wisconsin as peewees. “We scored with 9.7 seconds left and (won the) championship. Celebrating, Nick was the first to get to me after the game ended. That championship was so much fun, the entire tournament with him really.”

Jack said Nick has helped him notice key mistakes in his game, always offering constructive criticism. “I had a shutout (in one game) and we were up 6-0 with 30 seconds left. Nick thought it would be a good idea to try and score one more (goal by going) end-to-end,” Jack said. “He had a nice turnover at the blue line that resulted in a breakaway goal that ruined my shutout. My coach was mad at Nick, and I won’t forget that day.”

Jack Swiontek, 17, a senior at West Leyden High School, is the Eagles’ goalie. He formerly played for the Franklin Park Panthers and is planning to attend the University of Iowa in the fall for its accelerated physical therapy program and then go into athletic physical therapy.

His hockey career has included MVP honors for tournaments in Madison, South Bend and Holland, Michigan. He has been an academic award-winner all four seasons of high school and a league all-star as a senior.

His career highlight was “robbing a Loyola player during their senior night game while a junior en route to a 3-2 victory,” he said. “The save with two minutes left on the clock fueled the team to finish the game strong. It was a broken play that resulted in a shot and rebound back door, where I did the splits and made a beautiful save.”

Nick, 17, is a right-handed shooting center, a senior at West Leyden who is planning to attend Illinois State University in the fall to study business analytics. He also skated for the Franklin Park Panthers and is a four-time academic award-winner.

Nick is an intelligent player, mixing a methodical and flashy approach. He played on a spring season Panthers team as a bantam that went undefeated. He praises all his past coaches: “They have given me advice that has helped me on and off the ice,” he said.

Nick dislocated his shoulder in a Wisconsin tournament and had surgery the week before Thanksgiving, ending his senior season. “As difficult as that is, I know I will learn from this and it will make me stronger, more resilient,” said Nick, who noted that he is always side by side with Jack. “We spend all our time together, so we’re always on the same page. He is someone I can rely on outside of games and practices, always.”

“It’s awesome to have him on the team; he’s a good goalie. It’s been nice to have someone reliable between the pipes every year I’ve played hockey. Jack is always there to help me out on and off the ice, whether it’s schoolwork, or making a big save after one of my mistakes.”

Nick said he helps Jack in multiple ways, starting with words of encouragement.

“My favorite memory as teammates is our team scoring with 24 seconds left on senior night this year,” Nick said. “Although I was not playing, I was on the bench and it was an amazing experience to be a part of.”

Jack is an athletic netminder who admittedly loves to make big saves, to hype up the team.

“I may not play as fundamental as most goalies, but I love to move around and make big saves. I like to play fast, help my team win games,” Jack said. “My parents have been extremely motivational to me; my dad consoling me after every loss and celebrating after every win. My mom has managed almost every team I have been a part of and has made playing hockey possible for me and all the teams I have been on.”

Jack said former Panthers coach John Delfosse “has been a huge inspiration,” and added that Delfosse used to tell Jack, ‘The sun will still rise tomorrow,’ which has long helped ease the pressure.

“My coaches in high school also have been a huge help. Adam Johnson, Adrian Kuzbik, and Tony Cruz have helped me so much since I was a 14 years-old, standing at 5-foot-3 and weighing 135 pounds.”

The Eagles are 2-1-1 in their league schedule in 2025 and both brothers are excited for the playoffs and state tournament.

“Our chemistry is great; we are playing well,” said Jack, who recalls this season’s senior night, when Leyden debuted its alternate all-yellow jerseys in front a standing-room only crowd.

“We won 2-1, (scoring the game-winning goal) with 24.7 seconds left. I saw 43 shots and let in one, leading the team to a huge victory. I had a fever of 101.7 right before I got on the ice yet worked through it to win my senior night.”

Jack said having Nick as a teammate has always been inspirational. “I love talking to him in between periods,” Jack said. “It really hurt to see him (get injured), but he still talks to me in between periods and after the games. It has been fun to play 13 years with him, learning from each other, whether it’s what to do or what not to do.”

Slapshots With … Leyden Forward Nick Swiontek

In-Class: The brothers have four classes together and play on the school’s golf and tennis teams.
The Quote: “I think everything translates to hockey in one way or another. Golf and tennis translate to my hand-to-eye coordination and mental toughness. School and watching hockey contribute to my intelligence.”
Hobbies: Golf, throwing a football and hanging out with friends
Long-term Career Goal: Graduate from college and have a successful career in the business world
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Connor Bedard
Favorite Movie: Cars 2
Favorite TV Show: The Pat McAfee Show
Motivational Song: Kills by Chief Keef
Pre-game Meal: Bagels or hard-boiled eggs
Favorite app: Brawl Stars
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Rory McIlroy
Best Hockey Advice: “The game will always move slower than you think, pick your head up and think.” - Coach Adrian Kuzbik
Best High School Uniforms (other than Leyden): Chicago North Stars’ beige alternates.

Stopping Slapshots With … Leyden Goalie Jack Swiontek

Off The Ice: Stretches, watches film and mentally prepares for an opponent
It Helps: “I like to juggle, which helps my focus and multitasking ability. It helps make all parts of my game second nature to me.”
Hobbies: Golf, tennis, basketball, hanging out with friends, family and his girlfriend
Long-term Career Goal: Play hockey or golf in college and become an athletic physical therapist in the future.
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Patrick Roy
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Miracle
Favorite TV Show: Suits
Motivational Song: California Gurls, Katy Perry x Snoop Dogg
Favorite Pre-game Meal: “Whatever my mom makes, it’s always a good meal!”
Favorite app: Brawl Stars
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Scottie Scheffler
Best Hockey Tip: “The sun will still rise tomorrow.” – Coach John Delfosse
Best High School Uniform (other than Leyden): “Deerfield’s black and red jerseys with the black and red shells.”