Lee Sweatt

Lee Sweatt

Walter Lee Sweatt (born August 13, 1985) is an American former professional ice hockey player. Sweatt played four years of professional hockey in Europe and North America. Sweatt played three games in the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2011, before retiring to work in the financial industry. His younger brother, Bill, was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and is a member of the Vancouver Canucks organization.

After a one-year stint with the Junior A Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL), Sweatt played four seasons in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) with the Colorado College Tigers. During his senior year with Colorado, he served as team captain and received All-WCHA Third Team honors. Graduating with a degree in mathematical economics, he was named the WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year in 2007.

Undrafted by an NHL team, Sweatt played in Europe for four seasons with TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga, Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League and EC Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Hockey League. After winning the Pekka Rautakallio trophy as the SM-liiga's best defenseman and the Kanada-malja as league champions with TPS in 2010, he returned to North America, signing with the Vancouver Canucks. He played the subsequent season with the Canucks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, while also debuting in the NHL with the Canucks. In July 2011, he signed with the Senators.

Sweatt has also played inline hockey at the international level, competing for the United States' national team at seven consecutive IIHF InLine Hockey World Championships from 2002 to 2009. At the 2008 tournament, he earned the Best Defenseman award. He has also played for the United States national select team on two occasions, once in 2007 and another at the 2009 Deutschland Cup.