Mammoth’s Nate Schmidt Ready to Bring Winning and His Love of the Game to Utah

The defenseman only spent a season with the Canucks before being traded once again, this time to the Winnipeg Jets. Schmidt had a good first year in Winnipeg, recording 32 points before having two tough seasons afterwards.

After being bought out, Schmidt was heading into free agency at the tail end of his career. His value was at its lowest in his career. Potentially even worse, he was playing great hockey on a championship-contending team and living his best life in Vegas before being traded and finding himself battling to even stay in the league. It’s the way hockey works, and Schmidt saw every angle of it.

“I was blessed to be in Washington; we had a really good team with Presidents’ Trophy-winning teams,” Schmidt said. “Then going to the Final with Vegas in the first year, and then the conference finals. Then all of a sudden, you’re back into the murky middle of grinding it out, trying to get another year. I think what hit me more than anything is you just don’t know when your next chance is going to be, or if it’s your last chance. That was something that hit me the worst. Teams are going, we’ll get them next year. It’s like, you never know.”

Fortunately for Schmidt, his gamble with the Panthers paid off as he finally completed his biggest dream. While winning the Stanley Cup was obviously the highlight of the season, Schmidt had a lot of fun between games and rounds. From card games on the road to organizing Dairy Queen runs during the playoffs, it’s something he wants Utah fans to see next season.

“It’s magical because you’re in a time where you’re only with the guys, you’re only playing hockey, you’re with the team,” Schmidt said. “There’s really nothing else, all the outside stuff. It really gets blurry and hazy. You’re just off the rink, on the road, you’re in the team room, you’re hanging out watching guys play cards or whatever it may be. You’re just playing hockey like a young kid again. Guys are giving the extra 10 to 15 to 20% just to get an extra, and everything gets elevated to a point where it brings us a different energy to the rink. I really hope and I believe that Utah fans will be able to see that this year, because this team has a chance.”

While Schmidt is no longer a top-pairing defenseman, he is still a very good one when used properly. Last season on the Panthers, he had one of the lowest average ice times of his career, yet when deployed, he was effective in shutting down his opponents. If the Mammoth use him like that, it’ll be a great signing for them, especially if he ends up on the bottom pair with another veteran defenseman like Cole.

Schmidt can be a valuable tool on special teams, and he was used frequently in the playoffs with the Panthers. He’s also willing to stand up for his teammates, which is something the Mammoth need and have brought in along with fellow free agent signee Brandon Tanev.

General manager Bill Armstrong really likes Schmidt’s skating. The defenseman is able to transition well and plays the defensive side of the game well. Even at 33, Armstrong believes he is one of the best skaters now on the Mammoth.

“I love Nate,” Armstrong said. “We knew a lot of people inside our organization who vouched for him over the years and what he’s done. He’s an older veteran D man. He can come in and move the puck. He can transition with the puck. Even with his age, he’s one of the best skaters, and he continues to improve on that and become a better player. He’s another winner. I think we have 10 Cups in total now on our team, and that’s going to be a huge experience factor for us as we move forward and try and push to get in the playoffs.”

For Schmidt, he comes into Utah rejuvenated, refreshed, and happy to play hockey again. Last season with the Panthers was critical for him, and now, after winning the Cup, he knows the Mammoth are getting the best version of him.

“What I wanted to do this last year, more than ever, was just enjoy playing hockey again,” Schmidt said. “If you feel like you still got a load on your shoulders, you’re getting paid this and doing that, man, that stuff started to break you down. Trying to take all that weight on at once, it just doesn’t work. I don’t think any player can really do it. You see with guys all the time in the league, sometimes a fresh start helps them rehab themselves, and this last year really helped for me as well.”

Why Did Schmidt Choose Utah?

When Schmidt looked at his options during free agency this summer, he was looking for a place to settle down with his family for the next couple of years. With his second kid close to being born and his first kid, Harvey, being only a couple of years old, it’s something he needed to do. 

Schmidt had his eye on the Mammoth ever since their move to Utah. He liked the young core that Armstrong built through the draft, and it reminded him of how the Panthers built their team. 

“This is actually a team and an organization I’d circle for a couple of years, just recording in progress, what they’ve been building for a long time,” Schmidt said. “It mimics Florida and how they went through the draft. Have a bunch of guys kind of grow up together and then start to make noise later as they get older through their careers, and that’s where I see the scene. That was something that kind of excited me.”

Schmidt is also a big outdoorsman. He loves fishing, hunting, and hiking. Utah is obviously a great place to do all of that. In fact, he’ll join a group of players who love to do that.

The defenseman is also excited to relive the excitement of a young franchise that he had in Vegas a couple of years ago. He’s excited to be in the community and meet the fanbase that has impressed many around the hockey world.

“I love the passion,” Schmidt said. “I love the excitement. I love that type of energy that people bring. The passion amongst fans like that doesn’t scare me away. That actually kind of brings me closer…That sense of being behind the team in that first real year. I had a similar feeling with the first year in Vegas. What it means to be in a city for the first time, and you’re navigating, how do we do things, and community engagement. Now, the second year is when you really start to ingrain yourself into the community, and that’s something I’m excited for.”

Schmidt played against the team when they were in Arizona, and for the longest time, it wasn’t a competitive franchise. Now, as they transition into a competitive playoff team, it’s one he respects. He saw the inklings of that last season with the Panthers. The Mammoth took them to overtime when they were in Sunrise and kept their other matchup competitive when the Panthers came to Utah.

“In Arizona, you just kind of went there, you played all your games, and you got your points, and you moved on,” Schmidt said. “This year, in the last year and a half or so, I felt like the team is a lot more spicy, with a little bit more on top of it, a lot more tenacious. Not just getting their power play points and screwing off, they’re much more in the game. I remember we went into Utah, the game was tight for most of the 60, and that’s the kind of attitude you need to have.”

He wouldn’t have chosen to sign with the Mammoth either if they weren’t competitive. He believes in the team. Schmidt wants to win another Stanley Cup. Even after just winning it, he’s already back in the gym training. It’s like a drug. Once you win it once, you have to win it again.

“This thing is burning,” Schmidt said. “I’m not gonna let this thing just be a one-and-done. I want to be able to be back there again. It’s too good not to share with people around you and the people who help get you there. It means a ton to not only me, but to everyone around you.”

Schmidt coming to Utah is a fantastic move for both the defenseman and the Mammoth. For Schmidt, he gets a great place to settle down for the next three years and a stable place to play. He’s also in an organization where winning is the goal, and ownership has proven that in the past year with their actions.

For the Mammoth, they get a great veteran defenseman who rounds out their blue line and knows how to win. On top of that, Schmidt is a great and very positive person off the ice and one fans will love. He loves interacting with all hockey fans he comes across, and he wants to keep doing that in Salt Lake City.

“I try and take every interaction with kids as seriously as possible because I love that,” Schmidt said. “I love that part of the game. That’s something that, as a young kid, coming up to a college player, NHL player, those are things you remember. Those are things that I remember when I was young. That’s probably something that I really cherish the most as a player.”

It’s been a wild ride for Schmidt and his family in the past year. From the lowest point of his career to the highest, it’s one he will never forget as he begins his new life with the Mammoth. For most, the most obvious takeaway in the past year for Schmidt is that he won a Stanley Cup. While that is certainly a highlight for him, it’s his rediscovery of his love for playing hockey that made this past year worth it. He’s excited to bring that love to his new team in Utah.

“I love this game,” Schmidt said. “I love playing.”