Florida’s Nate Schmidt Gives Honest Take On Locker Room After Panthers Coach’s Comments

Nate Schmidt made his way to Sunrise last July, looking for a fresh start and a chance to make an impact. He signed a one-year deal worth $800,000 with the Florida Panthers after the Winnipeg Jets decided to part ways with him. With coach Paul Maurice and assistant Sylvain Lefebvre at the helm, Schmidt really hit his groove, enjoying the chance to play his natural, dynamic style and boost his confidence on the ice.

Schmidt really stepped up on the ice—he racked up 19 points in 80 regular-season games and has already matched 11 points in 19 playoff games. But, you know, it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for him to blend into the Panthers roster.

Recently, as reported by The Athletic, Nate Schmidt opened up about how he felt the pressure of joining a reigning champion when he signed with Florida last summer. He mentioned, “There were still (nerves). I found it pretty difficult for the first couple of weeks, being like, ‘Hey, how do you find your way with this team that just won? How do you know where you fit in with this group and what you can do to provide? Is it enough? Is it the same as (the players) they lost?’ All those things get in your head until the first couple weeks. Then you start to settle in and you get into the system and then you start to get integrated with the guys and then, as a veteran guy, you start to let your own personality start to show. I found that just being me is the easiest way to go about doing it.”

Schmidt came from the Jets, and during his long NHL career with several teams, he never managed to win the Stanley Cup. At first, he felt a little out of place fitting into the champion roster. After a few weeks of trying, he finally found his own vibe in the Panthers locker room, and even his coach noticed it.

In a recent interview, Paul Maurice also mentioned about his star defenseman, stating, “Lots of chatter, and we need that. We lost a few of those guys. Like, we still talk about some of the players that played here over the last two years that aren’t here anymore. They’re really, really important. Nick Cousins in Ottawa is a chirper, right? He never stopped talking. [Joshua] Mahura, like a name that maybe you wouldn’t know. [Brandon] Montour. Those guys never shut up. Which was great for us. And then, Nate [Schmidt] does that. I think… Shock to you, Brad Marchand does that a little bit.”

NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Stanley Cup Final – Media Day Jun 7, 2024 Sunrise, Florida, USA Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice speaks to reporters during media day in advance of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Sunrise Amerant Bank Arena Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSamxNavarrox 20240607_szo_na2_0140

The head coach shared that it was a crucial part of their recruitment pitch last summer since the team realized they had lost some significant personalities, particularly those players who were chirpers and voices in the locker room. They were really looking for that spark again. Maurice mentioned that Schmidt’s outgoing vibe is just what they were looking for in the locker room—a real morale booster who chats, smiles, and keeps everyone’s spirits high. What do his teammates think about him?

Appreciating Nate Schmidt’s part in the squad

Just like coach Paul Maurice, a bunch of Nate Schmidt’s teammates have pointed out how his positive vibe and constant chatter have really lifted the Panthers’ locker-room culture. Aaron Ekblad gave a shoutout to Schmidt for his upbeat vibe and enthusiasm, saying, “A vocal guy that likes to have fun, always smiling, and positive. That kind of atmosphere in the room is really important. [He] never gets down. Especially with a team like this, we know that we’re going to win a lot of games, so when we lose, we’ve got to find a way to just get over it quickly, learn from it, and move on. He’s one of those good guys to do that.”

Winning and losing are just part of the game, but having someone like Schmidt on the team really helps during the tough times in hockey, according to Ekblad. This really shows just how important the NHL star is to the Panthers.

In a similar vein, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov mentioned, “He’s fit in really well. He’s an easygoing guy. Talks too much a little bit sometimes (laughs), but I like that. Sometimes you’re a little bit tired in the morning, and you come into the locker room, and all you need is to hear those guys to bring a smile to your face.” All these comments really show that Schmidt isn’t just making an impact on the ice—his voice, humor, and positivity are seen as key parts of the Panthers’ chemistry.

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