ECHL: Colin Swoyer Announces Retirement

Originally posted on Inside The Rink | Last updated Jun 25, 2026 2:41 AM ET

Yesterday afternoon, Colin Swoyer announced his retirement. Swoyer is a 28-year-old defenseman who played in 151 ECHL games and 49 AHL games.

Swoyer has played with the Toledo Walleye for the past two seasons, joining the team in 2024. He played in 105 games with the Walleye, scoring seven goals and 46 assists for a total of 53 points. During his time with the Walleye, Swoyer played in 31 Kelly Cup Playoff games, scoring six goals and eight assists. Swoyer also played for the South Carolina Stingrays and the Wheeling Nailers during his ECHL career. During his time with the Stingrays, he played in 40 games and scored two goals and five assists. Swoyer’s ECHL career started with the Wheeling Nailers during the 2022-23 season. He played in six games with the Nailers and had one assist.

⭐️ 200 pro games – 105 of them in T-Town
⭐️ 75 pro points – 53 in a Fish uniform
⭐️ So many unforgettable moments on and off the ice.

Thank you for everything, Swoyzy.

Congratulations on your retirement, we can’t wait to see what you do next! pic.twitter.com/0xRDYDl445
— Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) June 24, 2026

Swoyer’s professional career started in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the 2021-22 season. Swoyer played in five games with the Penguins during the 2021-22 season. During the 2022-23 season, Swoyer spent most of the season playing with the Penguins. Swoyer played in 36 games for the Penguins during the 2022-23 season, scoring one goal and ten assists. At the beginning of the 2024-24 season, Swoyer played in four games for the Hershey Bears and recorded three assists.

NCAA & Junior Career

Before starting his professional career, Swoyer played four seasons of NCAA Division I hockey at Michigan Tech. Swoyer played in 141 NCAA games at Michigan Tech, scoring 14 goals and 58 assists for a total of 72 points.

Colin Swoyer played three seasons of junior hockey in the USHL before playing at the NCAA level. While playing in the USHL, Swoyer played with the Chicago Steel and Sioux Falls Stampede. Swoyer played in 118 USHL games, scoring 13 goals and 37 assists for a total of 50 points.

This article first appeared on Inside The Rink and was syndicated with permission.

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