This is the seventh installment of our Celebrating 20 series where we profile key players from each of the team’s 20 seasons in the Western Hockey League. Join us in celebrating 20 years of Hitmen hockey! The best there is! The best there was! The best there ever will be!
The Lethbridge Hurricanes will forever curse the name of Jeff Schultz.
Now with 408 NHL games under his belt, the Hitmen alumnus is responsible for delivering the knockout blow to the ‘Canes twice in the first round of the 2006 WHL Playoffs.
“I scored the series clinching goal against Lethbridge, that was a great moment,” Schultz said of netting the opening goal of a 3-0 victory over the Hurricanes to win the series 4-2 just days after sneaking an overtime tally past goaltender Justin Leclerc in Game 5.
Following the series triumph over their provincial rival, the Hitmen were knocked out of the playoffs in seven games by the Moose Jaw Warriors to close the curtains on Schultz’s WHL career, spent entirely in his hometown of Calgary.
In four WHL seasons from 2002-2006, the Washington Capitals 27th overall selection in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft tallied 107 points in 262 games before graduating to the professional ranks.
Kicking off his pro career in the America Hockey League with the Capitals-affiliate Hershey Bears, Schultz got the call up to the big club in 2007, where he’d stick around for six NHL seasons.
“There were a lot of struggles at times, but I took a lot from that,” Schultz said of his journey to the NHL. “I was lucky enough to play with guys like Alex Ovechkin, Niklas Backstrom and Mike Green and a lot of other great players. They helped me get where I am today.”
After putting up 67 points in 399 games with the Caps, Schultz parted ways with the organization when he cleared waivers in 2013.
The 28-year-old defenceman was immediately nabbed by the Los Angeles Kings, who sent him back down to the AHL for a stint with the Manchester Monarchs before reaching hockey’s pinnacle in the 2013-2014 NHL playoffs.
“It was very unexpected,” Schultz said of his call up to the Kings to play seven post-season games en route to the 2014 Stanley Cup Championship. “It`s every kids dream. I was fortunate to get in there and help the team get past the second round.”
Reflecting back on his time with the Hitmen, Schutlz was thankful for the opportunity to play out his junior career in his hometown and eventually pass the experience on to his younger brother Ian.
Ian Schultz spent three seasons with the Hitmen before making a name for himself in the East Coast Hockey League with the Allen Americans.
“He’s had his ups and downs,” Jeff said of his 24-year-old brother. “He seems to be doing well in Allen and found a spot he likes. It’s good to see him continuing to play.”
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