Swaney, a
Lakeville, Minnesota native, attended
Lakeville South High School before playing in the
United States Hockey League (USHL) with the
Waterloo Black Hawks. During his tenure with Lakeville South High, he committed to a collegiate career with the
University of the Minnesota-Duluth of the
National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). After recording 115 points through 120 career games in the USHL, Swaney was drafted by homestate club, the Minnesota Wild, in the seventh-round, 209th overall, of the
2017 NHL Entry Draft before joining the Bulldogs as a freshman. In his senior season with the Bulldogs in
2020–21, Swaney as an alternate captain, recorded 28 points in as many games to lead Minnesota-Dulth in scoring. At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Swaney was signed by the Wild to a one-year, entry-level contract on April 11, 2021, and was immediately signed to an Amateur Tryout contract to join AHL affiliate, the
Iowa Wild, for the remainder of the season. In his first full professional season, Swaney after attending Minnesota's 2021 training camp, was assigned to continue his tenure with the Iowa Wild in the AHL. Remaining with Iowa for the entirety of the
2021–22 season, Swaney as a rookie tallied 16 goals and 38 points through 62 games, placing fifth in team scoring. As a restricted free agent, Swaney was re-signed by the Minnesota Wild to a one-year, two-way contract on July 17, 2022. In the season, Swaney remained with the Iowa Wild, solidifying his role as a scoring forward in notching 18 goals and 30 points through 48 games despite missing games through injury. On April 13, 2022, Swaney was recalled by Minnesota and made his NHL debut in the Wild's final regular season game, in a 4–3 overtime defeat to the
Nashville Predators. For the second consecutive off-season, Swaney was re-signed by the Wild as a restricted free agent to a one-year, two-way contract on June 30, 2023. Leaving the Wild organization after four seasons, Swaney as a free agent was signed to a one-year AHL contract with the
Chicago Wolves on August 2, 2024. Following his fifth professional season in North America, Swaney as a free agent opted to pursue a career abroad, agreeing to a one-year contract with Austrian based club, Graz99ers of the ICEHL, on May 6, 2025. == Career statistics ==