Nate Schmidt

BIOGRAPHY

Nate Schmidt was born July 16, 1991 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He is a defenseman in the National Hockey League.

On April 2, 2013, as an undrafted player, Schmidt signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals. Schmidt played the final eight games of the 2012–13 regular season and five postseason games with the Capitals' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Schmidt started the 2013–14 season with the Bears but was called up to the Capitals after just one game. He made his NHL debut on October 12, 2013, against the Colorado Avalanche. He scored his first NHL goal on December 7, 2013, against Marek Mazanec of the Nashville Predators. Schmidt was reassigned to Hershey on December 15, 2013. After four seasons with the Capitals, Schmidt was left exposed by the club in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. He was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights on June 21, 2017. After going to an arbitrator in August, Schmidt signed a two-year, $4.45 million contract with the Golden Knights. During his first season with the team, Schmidt found success, putting up career high numbers in points and leading the Golden Knights in average playing time. He helped lead the Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs in their inaugural season, only to lose in the finals. On October 25, the Golden Knights signed Schmidt to a six-year, $35.8 million extension. On October 12, 2020, Schmidt was traded by the Vegas Golden Knights to the Vancouver Canucks. On July 27, 2021, Schmidt was traded to the Winnipeg Jets.