Stability, outdoors and quest for another Stanley Cup brought Nate Schmidt to Utah Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY — Nate Schmidt knows what he wants at this point in his life.

The 33-year-old NHL journeyman, who turns 34 next week, is looking for stability, the great outdoors and another Stanley Cup.

The Minnesota native has another birthday in his family coming up, as well, with baby No. 2 expected in "a week or two." The "chaos stage" for the family, as Schmidt described it, led him to sign a three-year contract with the Utah Mammoth this summer worth $3.5 million per year.

"My family trying to get some stability was kind of a big thing," Schmidt said of free agency. "Getting into a community like Utah and Salt Lake, I think that's just gonna be such a huge part of my future."

The fact that the state boasts plenty of hunting and fishing spots and an up-and-coming NHL team didn't hurt, either, for the self-proclaimed "outdoorsy guy."

Schmidt has something to offer Utah in return, though it might not be as quantifiable as fish.

The left-handed defenseman is 24 days removed from winning his first Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, which he described as a "euphoric" feeling that he "cannot wait for another chance at."

He put up three goals and nine assists in 23 playoff games for the Panthers after signing a one-year, $800,000 contract with Florida last summer. The playoff run earned Schmidt a bit of a pay raise, and the veteran looked to secure his future in a league where you "never know when your next chance is going to be."

The Washington Capitals took the first chance on a 22-year-old Schmidt in 2013 after he went unselected in the NHL draft out of the University of Minnesota. He made his major league debut six months later, and has been cashing in on chances ever since.

Before going the distance with the Panthers, Schmidt's most notable NHL season was with another expansion team not far from Utah.

The Vegas Golden Knights took a second chance on Schmidt after he was left exposed by the Caps in the 2017 NHL expansion draft. He repaid them by putting up a career-high in points and led the Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup finals in its inaugural season.

"Then, all of a sudden, you're back into the murky middle of grinding it out, trying to get another year," Schmidt said of his time between Stanley Cup appearances. "What hit me more than anything is you just don't ever know when your next chance is going to be, or if it's your last chance."

Schmidt isn't taking any of it for granted and sees Utah as a chance to "get back there again" — the Stanley Cup finals.

"It's becoming a more complete team," Schmidt said of the Mammoth. "You've added myself, along with a couple of guys that have won before, and that type of mentality starts to roll over, in my opinion. Guys start to taste it, like I just tasted this thing, and I cannot wait for a chance at it again."

Will Schmidt lead the Mammoth in minutes and set another career-high in points? Probably not. He was 13th on the Panthers last season in time on the ice per game and doesn't crack the top 10 of the highest salaries on Utah's roster, but that won't stop him from fighting for another chance to get on the ice.

"This thing is burning," Schmidt said. "I was in the gym last week, you know, just trying to make sure that I'm ready for this next year. I'm not gonna let this thing just be a one-and-done thing. I want to be able to be back (in the Stanley Cup) again. It's too good not to share with people around you and the people that helped get you there."

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