Nate Schmidt started his summer by watching Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk lift Brad Marchand, who was hoisting the Stanley Cup, up in the air to crowd surf.
The 33-year-old defenseman reached the top of the heap with the Florida Panthers last season, adding a championship to his 12-year NHL career. And he enjoyed it.
“I tried to be with [the Cup] at all times, as much as I could be,” Schmidt said. “At some point, you have to go to bed.”
When Schmidt eventually woke up from the celebrations, it was time to refocus on his future. The Minnesota native was an unrestricted free agent following his one-year deal in Florida and was looking for the next spot to land.
The Utah Mammoth came in as the right fit.
“This is actually a team and organization that I’ve had circled for a couple of years,” Schmidt said. “You see where they were, what they had become, into what they are now. It kind of, in a lot of ways, mimics Florida. How they went through the draft, had a bunch of guys grow up together and then start to make noise later as they get older in their careers. And that is where I see this team.”
Schmidt signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract with Utah earlier this month.
The Mammoth will be Schmidt’s sixth NHL organization, and he has learned a lot along the way — especially about bringing hockey to a new market. Schmidt was claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 Expansion Draft and spent three seasons, including their inaugural year, there. The Knights made it to the Stanley Cup final in 2018, which greatly added to Schmidt’s playoff experience, too.
It paid off when he got a second chance at the Cup with the Panthers. Schmidt said he didn’t get as caught up in the moment and was able to slow the game down, allowing him to make a bigger impact. After posting 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 80 regular-season games, Schmidt exploded for 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 23 playoff games as a third-pair defenseman.
He knows he will still have to work for his role in Utah, though.
“Whatever happened last year is amazing, but I still have to come in and win a spot and try to earn some ice time,” Schmidt said. “I’m not going to expect anything out of where I am – no power play time, no PK time. Whatever you get, you just roll with.”
Schmidt (6 feet, 197 pounds) adds important depth and personality to the Mammoth’s backend, which struggled with injuries last season. He said he is willing to fill whatever spot or responsibility Utah may have. Schmidt’s hard-nosed style — that is also highlighted by his skating and puck-moving ability — will be an asset.
“This team plays hard. They have more than just a couple of skill guys,” Schmidt said. “It is becoming a more complete team; the defensemen are a lot more veteran now.”
Vegas Golden Knights' Nate Schmidt (88) celebrates his goal with teammate Reilly Smith (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, March 9, 2019. (Ben Nelms/The Canadian Press via AP)
Another reason Schmidt wanted to be in Utah was for some stability. He got more years and a higher annual average value (AAV) on his new deal (he made $800,000 in Florida last year), which will help his growing family. Schmidt said he and his wife are expecting their second child in the next few weeks. Getting into a family-oriented community like Salt Lake was “a big part of it.”
Plus, the outdoors.
“I’m a pretty outdoorsy guy. I love hunting, I love fishing, I love getting out and doing all that stuff. That is completely right up my alley,” Schmidt said. “Not that I didn’t like going to the beach every day, but this is a different stage of life that I love and am really excited for.”
There will be a familiar face waiting for Schmidt in Utah when training camp starts in September. That is, forward Liam O’Brien. Both players went undrafted and were signed as free agents by the Washington Capitals to start their careers. Schmidt and O’Brien skated for the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, as well as the main club together. Schmidt was there from 2015 to 2017; O’Brien was there from 2015 to 2020.
“He’s the Spicy Tuna now, I hear. I actually did give him that nickname when we played together — the Big Tuna,” Schmidt said. “I actually loved when he first got to Utah and went up on that stage. That’s so cool. Hockey needs more of that type of personality. I think that’s such a huge part of it. I think that the both of us together will bring a lot of spunk to the group.”
O’Brien’s longtime friend will elevate the internal competition amongst the defensemen. General manager Bill Armstrong said this year’s training camp will be the “most competitive” the team has had.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Liam O'Brien (38) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Minnesota Wild, NHL hockey in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
Along with Schmidt, regulars Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino, Sean Durzi, Olli Määttä, Ian Cole and Nick DeSimone will all return. Not to mention 2023 first-rounder Dmitri Simashev, who recently signed his entry-level contract, and Maveric Lamoureux and Artem Duda, who impressed for the Tucson Roadrunners last year. The Mammoth also signed UFA defenseman Scott Perunovich.
Healthy teams have to make hard cuts. It is a good spot to be in for Utah. And it is why Schmidt thinks the Mammoth have what it takes to make a playoff move next season.
“This team has a chance, it is really up to the guys at this point,” Schmidt said. “I think this team can cut out a path itself without having to ask anybody else for help.”
Schmidt wants to be a piece of the solution that pushes Utah to turn the postseason corner. And he is ready to get in front of the fans.
“I love the passion, I love the excitement. That is me to a T. I love that type of energy that people bring,” Schmidt said. “That doesn’t scare me away, that brings me closer.”