13-year-old getting chance to play with Pat Canadians

Maddox Schultz is getting an early look at how hockey is played at the next level.

The 13-year-old has played two games with the Regina Pat Canadians, a team in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League.

The forward even scored a goal in his league debut, a third-period marker in a 4-2 loss to the Prince Albert Mintos last Saturday.

“It was pretty cool,” Schultz said. “It was a good feeling. I was really excited.

“I’m just kind of taking it day by day and see how it goes. It’s been fun so far, so (I’m) excited to keep going.”

His dad, David Schultz, was able to see Maddox’s first goal despite being in Winnipeg coaching at a figure skating event.

“I watched Maddox score that goal at a Starbucks in Save-On Foods with my laptop and my headphones on and I yelled — you would’ve thought I won the lottery,” David said. “I’d lie if I didn’t say we were really excited.”

The journey for Maddox and his family on the ice started when he was just two years old. He went to the rink with his parents, both of whom are figure skating coaches.

“He was out there because we were out there coaching,” David said. “He took to it pretty early and has always loved being out there.

“He competes and is a competitor. Whether it’s a race, whether it’s first to the pylon, first back (or) first to the puck, he has that competitive spirit and hates to lose. Anytime you put a kid like that in an environment where they have somebody to compete with, I think his personality suggests he loves it.”

As Maddox grew to love hockey and skating, David and his wife created a program for their son to start honing his skills.

“That started when he was four and by the time he was seven, he was real comfortable on his skates,” David said. “He figure skated when he was little at first because he was out there with Mom and Dad and then there was a stage where he did it reluctantly and now he doesn’t do it anymore.

“I teach a lot of edge work with him – a ton of inside and outside edges and forwards and backwards. We always said, ‘If you’re good skater, you can play this game,’ and he still works on it a ton.”

So which current star does the talented player want to emulate?

“Connor McDavid. He’s fast and I like to base my game off him,” Maddox said. “His offensive ability is just unreal and I like to score.”

“He drives that bus,” David added. “I don’t think we could force it on him. He has to want to do it. We’re Oilers fans so it has been a hard thing for us as a family.

“We’re (Regina) Pats fans like crazy and being able to be around Connor Bedard — Maddox has had some opportunities where he has been around him — so when you’re looking up to your heroes and they are doing the sport you love (it rubs off).

“Maddox is a well-rounded athlete. He is at the rink all the time but it’s by choice. Well, some days he has to be there because Mom and Dad are there, but for the most part, it’s by choice.”

Maddox’s love of the game and talent on the ice have helped him excel at the U15 AA level with the Regina Pat Blues. Last season, Maddox had 63 points in just 28 games. This season, the 5-foot-10, 154-pounder has 48 points in 12 games.

Those numbers and his maturity on the ice led the Pat Canadians to call him up. The feat at that young of an age is rare but it was done by Saskatoon’s Berkly Catton, who played some games with the Saskatoon Contacts in 2019-20.

Catton was taken first overall by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2021 WHL bantam draft — the first time a Saskatoon product was taken with the top pick — and is considered to be one of the top prospects for the 2024 NHL entry draft.

“We’ve watched (Schultz) play over the last couple of years and he is a very talented player and the most-talented in his age group,” said Pat Canadians general manager Warren Fry.

“He has been out and practising with us all year and you could see he was ready to take the next step and compete in a game. He’s psychically mature and he is maturing as a hockey player and he is very smart, so he doesn’t put himself in bad spots and his skill level is very evident and he rides on that as well.

“He’s just a great kid. I haven’t interacted with him a whole bunch but he seems to be all in on hockey and very polite and mature for his age. It’s surprising how mature he is. It’s hard to believe he is only 13.”

As an affiliated player, Maddox can play five games with the Pat Canadians. He can play more games with them after the Pat Blues’ season ends.

While Maddox isn’t as old as the players he is now going against, his preparation heading into his first game with the Pat Canadians eased any worries his parents may have had.

“It’s nerve-racking but I would say we haven’t rushed into this. He has been practising with the (Pat) C’s now for the better part of three months,” David said. “As a parent, you really appreciate the process and a game is something different.

“We didn’t know how that was going to go on Saturday or (this past Tuesday). I do feel like he has prepared himself and we have prepared him as a family and I feel like the Pat Canadians have prepared him. As nerve-racking as any league is, maybe it is heightened but I wouldn’t say we were afraid.”

Maddox had no qualms or hesitations when it came to playing against older, talented players.

“I like the physicality so I like to lay hits out there, no matter the age,” Maddox said. “In bantam, it’s a good pace but out here, it’s really fast.”

As Maddox continues his hockey journey to see how far he can take the game, David is thankful for all the help and support his family has received from the community.

“It takes a village to help raise a kid …,” he said. “Up until this point, he has had some opportunities that have helped him mature in the game a little bit quicker and we as a family are always looking for meaningful competition.

“Bantam AA is meaningful for him as well and our Pat Blues team has had a really good start to the year and we won a big tournament. As we move forward, being able as a family to see him play at the U18 AAA level — which I believe is one of the best leagues, if not the best league, in Canada — to see the support around him and to see him thrive, as a parent you can’t ask for anything more.

“I’d stand here and say I’m super-excited but I’m also real grateful for the people who have helped him get there. It’s been a journey — it’s his journey — but as a parent, whenever you see your kid do something that they love and have some success, it’s a wonderful feeling that our whole family is grateful to have.”