He Schultz, He Scores!

Strasbourg, Canada, 1986. A young Jesse Schultz laces up his skates before playing a friendly game of ice hockey with his friends, and life couldn’t be any better. Practically since birth, Schultz knew he was going to be a hockey player.

“Growing up in Canada, I think it was just something we all did, all my buddies played. I think most kids growing up in Canada, it’s just kind of what you do… If I wasn’t in school, I was playing hockey,” Schultz, now 37, recalls. Even now, with retirement on the horizon, he can’t imagine himself doing anything but playing hockey.

As long as he is healthy and still capable of his amazing feats, he’ll continue down this path. Despite the league moving more towards younger, faster players, the older Schultz can still run with the best of them. Recently playing in his 1000th game, he is the Cyclones lead scorer with 32 points so far (14 goals and 18 assists) and has a +16 rating. When he finally reaches the point of retirement, he still has every intention of sticking around.

“I always envisioned myself being in hockey somehow. It’s what I’ve been doing since I was four-years-old, so I don’t really see myself doing anything else. I feel like the game has given me so much, I’ve traveled a ton in the world and met so many awesome people. If I can give back in any way, I think that’s important”. Whether that be coaching, scouting, analytics, if it’s relevant to hockey, Schultz is the man for the job.

With Schultz’s tenure, he’s seen lots of changes in the league and changes in coaching style. Back when he first started playing, the game was more focused on mental and physical toughness and basic scoring. Now, while there is still plenty of fighting, the league has moved away from that and have placed more emphasis on speed and smart plays. Coaching has also seen a major change in tone.

As Schultz reminisces, there has a been a huge shift in power structure between coaches and players. The coach used to say jump and you’d say how high, but now the players have started questioning each play, each decision. While there are good and bad aspects of these two styles, Schultz and his teammate Justin Vaive act as buffers for the younger guys. Questioning the coach’s every decision is rather disrespectful, but it’s also good to have that understanding of why things happen. Schultz and Vaive maintain the balance of too much of a good thing, and they can also help to reiterate points the coach makes. Sometimes plays can get repetitive and the coach will start to sound like a broken record, but hearing the information from a respected teammate who can give a different point of view can be beneficial to all involved.

He may be a machine on the ice, but the designated “grumpy old man” of the team has a heart of gold off the ice. Being decidedly non-partisan on the topic, Schultz said he doesn’t have a favorite team to play against, but looks forward to making his way back to Rapid City where he used to play. He also loves the environment in Toledo and says they have some of the best fans in the league and always practically sell out each game regardless of the day of the week. He also loves the different promotional nights and what they stand for such as the Teddy Bear Toss or the Cyclones Fight Cancer night. But no matter what promo is going on, he just loves seeing all the fans.

“I enjoy the ones where the fans come out, and it’s important to us as a team to play well and entertain them.”

When he’s not destroying opposing teams or entertaining fans, Schultz enjoys relaxing in Knoxville, TN where he can be outdoors or prepping for the upcoming season.

“I spend my summers down in Tennessee in the Knoxville area. I’m basically training, getting ready for the next season. I enjoy just being outside, enjoying the weather. Enjoying what the area has to offer and all the outdoor activities.” Schultz is fond of golf, swimming, and maybe just lazing about in the rivers nearby.