Nate Schmidt brings experience to Mammoth's first playoff run

SALT LAKE CITY — As the Mammoth head to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, a veteran defenseman carries plenty of postseason experience that could be vital for the rest of the team.

Nate Schmidt's numbers aren't going to jump off the screen. With 22 points on the year, Schmidt has registered five goals and 17 assists to help Utah get over the hump and into the playoffs.

A core that needed some more veteran experience this offseason came in the form of Schmidt, a player who had made the playoffs a number of times throughout his career and saw the potential the Mammoth had this season.

"At this point in my career, I wasn't playing somewhere that didn't have a chance," Schmidt said. "I've been through that twice in my career that I haven't made the playoffs, and I hated every second of it."

Schmidt joined Utah this offseason on a three-year, $10.5 million contract after spending the 2024-25 season with the Panthers.

In his lone season with Florida, Schmidt captured the game's biggest prize, a Stanley Cup championship. It was the first time Schmidt had won a Stanley Cup, but it was not the first time he took the ice on the NHL's biggest stage.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Washington Capitals, Schmidt was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL expansion draft. Upon joining Vegas for their inaugural season, Schmidt became a "golden misfit."

In its first season as an NHL team, the Golden Knights did something extraordinary. Outperforming everyone's expectations, Vegas reached the playoffs after winning the Pacific Division before reaching the Stanley Cup Finals while representing the Western Conference.

After the events of the Oct. 1 shooting, the community and the team came together on the backs of tragedy to fuel a run that neither fan nor player would ever forget. That included Schmidt.

"Obviously, it's hard to take last year and not say that's my favorite year, but that first year, there was so much more to it that made it a lot more fun."

After helping usher in the NHL to a new city, Schmidt is getting a similar chance to do it again in Utah. Even though this is the second year in the league, the Mammoth are still a young franchise that is reaching the playoffs in year two.

It's a different scenario than that of the Golden Knights with them being an expansion team and Utah relocating from Arizona, but the impact of being a competitive team early in a new place has lasting effects.

"I'll tell you this, it created a die hard fan base real quick," Schmidt said of Vegas' early success. "I think if you have that type of success, people get a taste for it. It's just like, as a player, you get a taste for it, it's all you want."

The playoff success in Vegas quickly created a strong fanbase for one of the NHL's youngest franchises and that cycle has repeated itself in Utah.

"Like in Vegas, people are just pumped up to have a team," Schmidt said. "It's fun to be a part of. Even though you see people around town starting to wear swag, it's only going to get better."

The Mammoth will have their first crack at the Stanley Cup Playoffs within the next few weeks but with a lot of players lacking playoff experience, there could be some growing pains.

"You don't know what you have until you get there," Schmidt said. "We have a lot of young guys, it should be exciting."

When asked about the pressure that comes in the playoffs, Schmidt admitted it can be a real challenge, stating, "The first time I went to the finals, it ate us up. You're trying to stay inside your little bubble, not letting things puncture that. You're gonna lose games. It's inevitable."

Even with the lack of playoff experience among the team, Schmidt is confident in his group, especially with the recent stretch that the Mammoth had that helped them clinch a playoff spot.

"I think with a team that's a little bit more fresh to the scene, it's important to play well this time of year, because it just gives you a lot of confidence to know that you can do it now and take some high and do it again next week, and that's the biggest thing," Schmidt said.

Utah's first taste of playoff hockey will be against Schmidt's former team, the Golden Knights.

With the postseason coming up, Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny expects Schmidt to do what he has done all year.

"Same thing he brings all season long — a lot of energy and positivity," Tourigny said. "He knows when it's time to turn it on a little bit and tweak the guys if need be, or to have a little bit more of a direct message."

A proven champion, Schmidt is ready to leave it all out there for his team come playoff time.

"I know I can do it this time of year, I have confidence in my game," Schmidt said. "I know I've been here. I know what it takes, what it looks like. You know where the plays need to be made. I'm gonna get hit more. Yeah, I'm gonna have to shoot the puck quicker."

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