As a player, Greg Swanson was a game changer, a player that made everyone around him better. Off the ice, the late Aberdeen Cougars player was a difference maker, a person that made lives around him better.

Swanson lost his battle with cancer in October of 2023 at the age of 49.

The Cougars will honor his memory this weekend with the Third Annual Greg Swanson Day. Among the varsity games today Aberdeen will be hosting the Sioux Falls Flyers at the Odde Ice Center with the girls playing at noon and the boys at 8 p.m. including a ceremony highlighting Swanson’s accomplishments.

“It’s great to lift him up because of who he was to so many individuals in the community at a personal level,” said Brian Sandvig of Milbank, a teammate of Swanson’s in both football and hockey.

Sandvig said Swanson’s skill set on the ice was unmatched as he led the Cougars to their last state championship in 1992. Swanson led the state in scoring that season with 40 goals along with 29 assists for 69 total points.

“His stick handling was the best on the ice,” Sandvig said.

Combine that skill with an innate knowledge of knowing just where the puck was heading before it got there and Swanson was nearly unstoppable.

“He would put himself into the open ice position,” Sandvig said, “so if you can get into open ice with the puck, and then you have exceptional stick handling, the rest is history.”

While Sandvig put in time during the off season lifting weights and attending camps, he possessed a special gift when playing the sport of hockey.

“He just had ‘it,'” Sandvig said. “He had that ‘it’ thing when it came to hockey.”

However, what made Swanson even more memorable was his assuming demeanor, both on and off the ice. Sandvig said he was never one to talk about his own exploits, instead providing unwavering leadership whether as the quarterback of the Aberdeen Central football team, or as captain of the Cougars hockey team.

“He had just the most calm, in control of himself demeanor, when it came to the important times of the season or a game. … That just instills confidence in everybody else,” Sandvig said.

Sandvig said the early 90s was a great era for sports in Aberdeen. While Eric Kline was filling up baskets for the Central basketball team, Swanson was filling up nets with goals for the Cougars. He said there were a lot of similarities between the two.

Kline was never one to talk about his basketball heroics, and Swanson had the same unassuming nature.

“Greg was the exact same way,” Sandvig said, “which is why you would never know how special he was.”

While both had opportunities to play at the next level, both local standouts remained in the Hub City.

“Kind of like Eric, saw the value of Aberdeen, saw the value of family and friends,” Sandvig said of Swanson.

Sandvig said Swanson would routinely go out and produce standout performances without giving it a second thought.

“I think the most intimidating thing in sports is when you have somebody who is the best at what they do, they will execute over and over and over again, and they don’t think it’s a big deal,” Sandvig said.

And at the end of the day, Swanson was able to keep things in perspective as he led the Cougars to their last state title in 1992.

“It was fun. He made sure to have fun doing it,” Sandvig said. “We had a lot of fun. … It always was a game.”

Sandvig said it’s fitting that the Aberdeen Hockey Association highlights the accomplishment of Swanson.

“It’s really cool that they’re honoring him,” Sandvig said, “because his story is worth telling.”