Original Misfit discusses winning Stanley Cup, signing with Mammoth

Nate Schmidt, in his first news conference since becoming a Stanley Cup champion and signing with the Utah Mammoth, was asked Thursday if he could sum up his last five years.

“Man, there’s a lot to go (into) there,” Schmidt said.

The Original Misfit has had quite a journey.

The Golden Knights traded the defenseman, one of the most popular players in franchise history, to the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 12, 2020. Schmidt had four seasons left on the six-year extension he signed with the Knights in 2018 at the time.

He was on the move again less than a year later, this time to the Winnipeg Jets. Schmidt played for the team for three seasons before the Jets bought out the final year of his contract.

The 33-year-old, knowing he was facing a “prove-it” season, decided to sign a one-year, $800,000 deal with the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

He ended up helping the Panthers lift the Cup a second time. Schmidt scored 12 points in 23 playoff games, second-most among Florida defensemen, and won his first championship seven years after helping the Knights reach the Final their inaugural season.

His hard work was rewarded when the Mammoth signed him to a three-year, $10.5 million contract as a free agent July 1.

The long climb to the top made it that much sweeter for Schmidt.

“I was blessed to be in Washington,” Schmidt. “We had really good teams, some Presidents’ Trophy teams. Then we go to the finals in Vegas the first year … and then, all of a sudden, you’re back and into the murky middle of grinding (it) out, trying to deliver.”

Move to Florida

Schmidt asked himself if he would ever get back to the Stanley Cup Final a lot over the years.

The Knights selected him from the Capitals in the 2017 expansion draft and he immediately became one of their most important players. Schmidt led the team in average time on ice (22:14) as it shocked the NHL world by making the playoffs and winning the Pacific Division its first season.

The Knights made it all the way to the Final, only to lose to Washington in five games.

“I think what hit me more than anything is you just never know when your next chance is going to be. Or if it was your last chance, right?” Schmidt said. “That was probably the thing that hit me the worst the last couple of years, being on those teams. … Dude, you never know, you’re never going to know if your team’s going to have a chance.”

Schmidt still had his doubts even after signing with the Panthers. He wasn’t sure if Florida had enough in the tank to make another long run. The Panthers were coming off back-to-back trips to the Final, losing to the Knights in five games in 2023 before defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 in 2024.

“That was a real question mark when I first got there,” Schmidt said.

Special moment

Schmidt stayed the course. He played a career-high 80 games, then learned Florida was still plenty hungry when the playoffs came around.

Schmidt had five assists in six games in the Stanley Cup Final and the Panthers beat the Oilers for the second straight year. Then came a surprise: He was the second player to receive the trophy after captain Aleksander Barkov.

Florida decided the players who weren’t part of the team’s first championship would get to touch the Cup first.

“I did not know it was gonna come to me,” Schmidt said. “I thought it was going to go to (goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky) or the captains. (Matthew Tkachuk) looked at me and he’s like, ‘I think (Barkov’s) coming to you.’ He locked eyes with me, and I turned around and the camera’s on me. That was a pretty spontaneous thing, which was special.”

On to Utah

Schmidt now brings his championship pedigree to Utah. The Mammoth are entering their second season in Salt Lake City after owner Ryan Smith purchased the Arizona Coyotes in April 2024 and moved the franchise north.

Utah was 38-31-13 its first year and finished seven points out of a playoff spot. Schmidt is already excited about the team’s future.

“They kind of, in a lot of ways, mimic Florida,” Schmidt said. “They went through the draft, have a bunch of guys kind of grow up together and start to make noise as they get older. That’s where I see the team. That was something that kind of excited me.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.