New Mammoth Defenseman Sees Big Things for Team

The Utah Mammoth have become defined by their aggressive mentality to build a winning team. It began last summer with the acquisition of Mikhail Sergachev and several other defenders to fill out the blue line. It continued this summer with the trade for scoring winger JJ Peterka.

An under-the-radar signing for the Mammoth was the addition of Stanley Cup winning defender Nate Schmidt. Coming off a championship run with the Florida Panthers, the veteran blue liner joins Utah with optimism. Speaking about why he joined the organization, Schmidt spoke confidently about the Mammoth finally arriving on the postseason scene, and the excitement that brings him as a new player.

“For better or for worse, I’ve played in a couple of places now where I’ve can kind of seen where things are going to fall on the spectrum,” he said. “This group is arriving. Each year you looked at them and it’s not just a point night (for the opposition) any more.”

The 33-year-old puck-mover played a strong supporting role for the Panthers last season. Skating in 80 regular season contests, he averaged 16:32 minutes of ice time and produced five goals and 19 points. He also skated in 23 postseason games and stepped his game up even further, recording three goals and nine assists for 12 points while averaging a similar amount of ice time. Now, Schmidt aims to bring that winning mentality and experience to Utah in the hopes of it rubbing off on the young and hungry Mammoth squad.

“In the last couple of years they’ve added guys like myself and a couple of other guys that have won before, and that type of mentality starts to roll over in my opinion,” he explained. “On the teams that I’ve been on, that’s the type of mentality they have. In my case, I just tasted this thing and I can’t wait for another chance at it again.”

Schmidt has made quite the career for himself despite entering the league as an undrafted free agent. He made his NHL debut with the Washington Capitals, playing parts of four seasons with the club before the Vegas Golden Knights selected him during the 2017 Expansion Draft.

With Vegas, Schmidt’s game reached its apex. He recorded 30+ points three consecutive times and became one of the most consistent middle-pairing defenders in the league. He went on to make stops with the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets before joining Florida. Now, he will become a veteran leader on a Utah team aiming to take the next step in their championship journey.