Revitalizing career, Schultz earns Masterton nomination

VOORHEES — Nick Schultz and his wife Jessica were thinking of backup plans last summer.

The veteran defenseman, 31 at the time, was hoping he didn't have to continue his hockey career in Europe, although he was mentally preparing to do so.

Going overseas would mean relocating his family. With three kids, ages 4, 6 and 8, that would have been difficult.

After reviving his career, from a healthy scratch in both Edmonton and Columbus last season to becoming the Flyers' steadiest defenseman, Schultz has earned the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association's nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

The award is annually given "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."

Each of the 30 local PHWA chapters make their nominations, with the national award being presented at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 24.

"I've been around a long time so I know what (the award is) about," Schultz said. "It's a great honor. It's great to be nominated and recognized for this."

In reality, Schultz was out of a job for all of one day. He feared it might have been longer. Considering neither Edmonton nor Columbus was a good fit for him last season, he wondered if anyone would even know what his game was all about.

July 2, 2014, Schultz signed a one-year contract with the Flyers. General manager Ron Hextall was an assistant GM in Los Angeles for seven seasons, five of which overlapped with Schultz's 10 years in Minnesota.

"It was an opportunity to come out here," Schultz said. "(Hextall) said, 'You've got to come in and earn your ice time, earn your opportunity.' I knew their group here, who they had and at the time that was before everything with Kimmo (Timonen) and stuff as well. I knew the group that they had here and had in place, but there wasn't a lot of options."

Schultz has made the most of it. When he signed, the Flyers thought of him as a seventh defenseman, a depth guy in case they got into injury trouble. That hadn't happened last season, when Hal Gill signed on as the extra guy and played only six games for the Flyers.

When Braydon Coburn broke his foot in the season opener, the door opened for Schultz, who has only missed one game since then. Outside of an upper-body injury that cost him the Jan. 20 game against Pittsburgh, Schultz has played every game for the Flyers.

It's crossed his mind that he was almost a perpetual scratch like he was at his last two stops.

"I definitely very well could have been if circumstances were different," Schultz said. "At camp, they had their guys that they had penciled in at different spots. It was basically you have to wait for an injury or something to happen to get in the lineup. I was just fortunate it happened early on."

In 74 games, Schultz has a pair of goals and 13 assists. He's not known as an offensive defenseman, but rather a steady, calming presence in his own zone. Being able to do that nearly every game he's played has made him the Flyers' most consistent defenseman.

"He's worked his way in when injuries occurred in the beginning of the year," coach Craig Berube said. "He came in and played real well for us. He's continued to be a real steady guy.

"I think that he's played a long time in the league. He definitely knows how to defend. I think he's added some other things in this game in my opinion."

That's why the Flyers inked him to a two-year, $4.5 million extension in mid-February. The Schultz clan won't have to worry about moving again this summer.

"I think it's gone well here. I found a fit," Schultz said. "Last year, last couple seasons before this at the deadline I've been traded. You're away from you family. That factors in more now. I wasn't looking forward to going somewhere else and doing that again. Going through free agency was a big part of wanting to stay here."

Reach Dave Isaac at disaac@courierpostonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @davegisaac.