When he’s not lighting up the ice, Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt is keeping things cool off of it—literally and figuratively. On Inside South Florida, fans got a rare glimpse into Schmidt’s off-ice personality, and it was all laughs, doodles, and unexpected talents.
The conversation kicked off with a playful drawing challenge: who’s the best artist on the team? “This is not gonna be me,” Schmidt admitted with a laugh. Still, he gave it a shot, offering to draw a fish. “You're not the Florida Fish, you’re the Florida Panthers,” joked Cameron Dobbs.
Schmidt also shared a sweet moment about his 15-month-old son, who recognized the Panthers logo from the backseat of the car. “He knows it means hockey,” Schmidt said proudly.
From there, the segment dove into some fun team superlatives. Best dressed? Schmidt gave props to Sam Bennett, citing the impeccable combination of beard and hair (or lack thereof). If anyone on the team were to break a world record, Schmidt pointed to teammate Gustav Forsling, saying he’d crush it in something like the Tour de France.
Schmidt also nominated Evan Rodrigues as the teammate most likely to become a YouTube star, praising his big smile and camera-ready presence. And if Schmidt ever had to trade his skates for another sport? “Maybe baseball,” he said. “I love being outside. I’m from Minnesota though—not a ton of reps to be had in January.”
As for what brought him to South Florida? Beyond chasing the Stanley Cup, Schmidt cited the sunshine and a fresh start. “I spent the last couple of years in Canada. It was time for a little bit of warm weather,” he said with a grin.
Whether it’s his sense of humor, team spirit, or artistic efforts, Nate Schmidt made it clear—he’s just as entertaining off the ice as he is on it.
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