USA Hockey Magazine

When he was getting minimal minutes at the University of Minnesota, he opted to fill in a few games at forward, a position he admits never really suited him. "I get a very uneasy feeling when there are people behind me on the ice," he says. "That's probably why I'm a defenseman." When he went undrafted into the NHL, Schmidt proved him- self enough to the Washington Capitals to earn an entry-level contract, but bounced between the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League and Washington for his first three professional seasons. Schmidt eventually became a mainstay on the blue line in 2015, a role he's held onto with every team he's played on, includ- ing Vegas, Vancouver and now Winnipeg. "Not everything 's going to be perfect," says Schmidt, who owns 34 goals and 155 points in 450 NHL games. "I was one of Coaching Helps Keep Schmidt Connected To The Past And Future FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS, Nate Schmidt has helped out at Minnesota Hockey's CCM High Performance Select 15 camp in his hometown of St. Cloud. For him, giving back was always on the agenda. "When I was younger, I would skate with the St. Cloud Husky guys and I remember being so excited to be around college players," he says. "Sometimes you forget when you get older what that means to kids. You think, 'ah, they don't really care,' but you can really make a big impression on somebody just by being there. When you give them a little piece of advice, it's amazing how that resonates with kids. "Being able to give back is something that is such a valued part of what makes hockey so great." So what's Coach Schmidt's parting words of wisdom to younger players? You don't always have to play in an organized league to have fun and develop your game. "When I was in 3rd and 4th grade, my friends and I would go up to this neighbor- hood dirt field and just play baseball until it got dark," he recalls. "In the winter we would flood [a local field] and bring our skates and play all night until we couldn't feel our toes. That's where you pick up things you can't always do at practice. That's where you learn to love the game, too." DURING THE NHL OFFSEASON, NATE SCHMIDT IS QUICK TO VOLUNTEER HIS TIME TO HELP DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF MINNESOTA PLAYERS. PHOTOS COURTESY OF Derek Ricke "I think everyone's so focused on not falling behind in any particular sport, but you lose so much when you're not playing different sports. There are all these little things, like hand-eye coordination and move- ments that you can use to your advantage in other sports. … The more athletic you can be, the better off you're going to be in hockey." —Nate Schmidt 26 // SEPTEMBER 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM

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