As much as newly signed defenseman Nate Schmidt is slated to help the Utah Mammoth on the ice, his personality off it could be just as big for the team.
Hockey players are typically pretty reserved people, at least compared to other professional athletes. They prefer to avoid the spotlight off the ice — and most of the Mammoth’s players fit that to a tee.
But not Schmidt.
Schmidt is known for, more than anything else, his exuberant personality. He’s been a fan favorite in every market he’s played in, and seemingly every teammate he’s ever had has a wealth of good stories about him.
Surely many of his greatest moments have never been shared publicly, but here are the best ones that have.
Charity softball catch
Schmidt played baseball growing up, and he let it be known at a Vegas Golden Knights charity softball game in 2021.
We’re not sure what’s better: the catch or the celebration.
Location-based fashion
Fashion has always been one of Schmidt’s strong suits. Not in the traditional, contemporary sense, but rather that he’s not afraid to make a statement. That’s exactly what he did one winter game day in Winnipeg.
The statement? “Winnipeg is cold.”
A year later, while playing for the sunny-weather Florida Panthers, he again based his pre-game walk outfit on the local climate.
Jimmy Fallon appearance
Appearing on “The Tonight Show” is a big accomplishment for anyone — and there aren’t many NHL players who can say they’ve done it.
Host Jimmy Fallon declared Schmidt “Most likely to puke rainbows when he opens his mouth.”
The declaration was likely just based off Schmidt’s photo, but those who know his personality might agree.
The Nick Bjugstad prank
During their time at the University of Minnesota, Schmidt and former Utah center Nick Bjugstad lived together, along with Nashville Predators winger Erik Haula and former Predators draft pick Zach Budish. Anyone who had roommates in college can testify that there are always antics going on — and it seems that was especially the case in their household.
As The Athletic’s Harman Dayal reported in 2021 while Schmidt was with the Vancouver Canucks, Bjugstad wasn’t the tidiest guy in the quad, and Schmidt preferred a clean place.
“Nate would be all over him like, ‘Bjuggy, Bjuggy, Bjuggy,’” Haula said.
So, Schmidt, Haula and Budish would hide one item of Bjugstad’s clothing each day in an otherwise unused closet. When it came time to move out, Bjugstad opened the closet to find an avalanche of his stuff.
“It happened from the day we moved in,” Schmidt recounted. “It was probably 50 shirts, 20 underwear pairs and he’s like, ‘Man, I had to ask for all this stuff for Christmas.’”
Narrating a teammate’s first goal
After Winnipeg Jets teammate Dylan Samberg scored his first NHL goal, Schmidt was happy to walk the Jets’ social media team through it — pretending to be Samberg, of course.
Getting the Stanley Cup first
When the Stanley Cup-winning captain has taken his lap after winning the trophy, he typically hands it to someone who means a great deal to the team — often someone who played a big impact on the playoff run or the longest-tenured player on the team.
There wasn’t much money being bet that it would go to a depth defenseman on a one-year, near-league-minimum deal. But because Schmidt was among the few who hadn’t won it the year before, Alex Barkov sought him out of the crowd, making for a heartwarming moment.