Nate Schmidt Brings It During, After Stanley Cup Run with Panthers

SUNRISE — There was a lot of talk in the press box about who Sasha Barkov would pass the Stanley Cup after the Florida Panthers beat the Oilers in Game 6. Nate Schmidt was never brought up.

Brad Marchand, yeah. Sam Bennett certainly.

But Schmidt?

When you think about it, what Barkov did made perfect sense. But only once he did it.

Barkov, of course, handed the Stanley Cup off to Schmidt — kicking off a rotation that made sure those who had never won the Cup got it first.

Schmidt, who had been chasing that silver trophy his whole career, was as surprised as anyone.

“I did not know. I didn’t know,’’ Schmidt said, grinning widely on the ice after Florida’s 5-1 win in Game 6.

“He just looked at me and he gave me the ‘Cap death stare’. You don’t turn those eyes away. It was awesome. 

“I had no idea that it was going to be me. He looked me and he said, ‘Hey, the guys that haven’t done it before, we’re going to take a back seat to you guys.’ It means a lot. … There’s a lot of guys they play a ton of minutes that are huge contributors to this group, and they bypassed them and said, ‘We had it last year. We’ll never not cherish this moment.’ It was amazing. This is awesome.”

Schmidt, 33, was a key addition to the Panthers this season and fit right in from the first day.

He was also one of the players who shotgunned a beer during Sunday’s parade.

After losing Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Montour in free agency, the Panthers were looking for reinforcements on their blue line and Schmidt was a player they targeted.

Schmidt was looking their way as well, turning down more money to come to the Panthers.

Coach Paul Maurice knew Schmidt from their short time together in Winnipeg during the 2021-22 season, and Schmidt said he wanted to reunite with Maurice whom he felt helped “re-energize my game.’’

Boy, did it.

“I mm so happy for him,” Maurice said. “I go back to the conversations we had this summer for what he was looking for from a tour with the Florida Panthers. He’s not 23 anymore, and he wanted to get his game back. That was the whole point. He felt he was a better player than he was playing and he took full responsibility for that. There was no blame to anybody else. He just thought he had more to give.”

Maurice later said that Schmidt’s game turned around so much he was playing like he did when his career first started with the Capitals.

After being a healthy scratch by the Jets 20 times last season — including for two playoff games — Schmidt played in all but two of Florida’s 103 games and scored three goals with 12 points in the postseason. 

Schmidt had been in playoff runs before, going to the Final with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in 2018.

“You have to get your mind around it,” Schmidt said.  “You can’t let your mind wonder about what could happen, and I am, moreso than in any other playoff race I have been in, am just staying right where I am in the moment. It used to be, ‘oh, we’re up 2-0 in the series? We’re going to win this.’ Or, ‘oh, we’re down 0-2 so this is trouble.’

“In years past, I got ahead of things. This year, I have kicked those thoughts back. I know, now, all of these are moments I am going to look back on and enjoy. So I am just enjoying every moment of where we are right now.’’

This, with the Panthers, was different.

He was all but counting on it.

“This group has the vibe of my first year in Vegas, how the team operates, how the guys treat each other,’’ Schmidt said. “It’s magic.’’

Schmidt is one of Florida’s free agents this season and, like all the others, wants to return.

He also knows that may not be possible.

We will wait and see.

“This group allows guys to thrive,’’ Schmidt said Tuesday. “I think the coaching staff just believing in it helps. But this group is really selfless.”

2025 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

FLORIDA PANTHERS

UP NEXT

• 2025 NHL Draft: Friday-Saturday, Los Angeles (Panthers have six picks in Rounds 4-7)
• Start of NHL Free Agency: July 1
• Panthers Development Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early July
• Panthers Rookie Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early September
• Prospect Showcase hosted by Tampa Bay Lightning: Early September
• Training Camp: Mid-September
• Exhibition Games: Late September
• Opening Night: Oct 7-9 (opponent, time, date TBA)