Jaden Schwartz Biography
Jaden Schwartz (born June 25, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). Schwartz was selected 14th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Starting in 2005, Schwartz played minor hockey with the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL), in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. In 2008, Schwartz would rank up to junior hockey with the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He would continue junior hockey with the Tri-City Americans of the United States Hockey League (USHL) the next season. In 2011, Schwartz would commit to play at Colorado College, where he would spend two seasons.
In March 2012, Schwartz would sign a contract with the Blues, where he would spend most of his professional career. However, for the 2012–13 season, due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Schwartz would spend time with the Blues' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. This would be the only time spent in the AHL in his career. Schwartz would win the Stanley Cup as a member of the Blues in 2019, leading the team in scoring during the playoffs. For the 2021 NHL expansion draft, Schwartz would be left unprotected by the Blues, and he would be selected by the Seattle Kraken.
Playing career
Junior (2005–2010)
Schwartz played minor hockey at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, as part of the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL). As a bantam player, Schwartz helped Notre Dame to win the Kamloops International Bantam Ice Hockey Tournament in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, he also played at the midget level, helping Notre Dame to a victory at the 2007 Mac's Tournament. Schwartz and Notre Dame played at the Mac's Tournament again in 2008. Schwartz was named the SMAAAHL Top Forward for the 2007–08 season after leading the league in scoring. While playing Midget AAA at the school, he scored 39 goals and added 72 *ists in 44 games to break team scoring records previously held by Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards.
Schwartz began his hockey career playing junior ice hockey for his hometown Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). During the 2008–09 season with the Hounds, Schwartz finished fifth in league scoring with 34 goals and 42 *ists in 46 games. At the end of the season, he was named the SJHL's Rookie of the Year. Schwartz transferred to the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Schwartz captured the 2009–10 USHL scoring *le with 33 goals and 50 *ists through 60 games. He was also named to the league's First All-Star Team and was awarded Top Offensive Player honours. Following his USHL play, Schwartz was drafted 14th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Collegiate (2010–2012)
Schwartz with Colorado College in March 2011.On January 22, 2008, Schwartz, although drafted by an NHL team, committed to play collegiate ice hockey with Colorado College of the Western Collegiate Hockey *ociation (WCHA) for the 2010–11 season. Schwartz helped Colorado College to an NCAA Tournament appearance, where the team was seeded in the West regional held at the Scottrade Center, in St. Louis. In the first round, he recorded two goals and two *ists to help the fourth-seeded Colorado College defeat the reigning NCAA champion and number one-seeded Boston College 8–4. He also *isted on the lone goal, scored by his brother, Rylan, in the second-round game against Michigan. Schwartz finished his freshman season at Colorado College with 17 goals and 30 *ists for 47 points in 30 games. His 47 points was highest on the team.
During his sop*re season at Colorado College, Schwartz recorded 15 goals and 26 *ists for 41 points in only 30 games, missing six due to the World Junior Tournament. He led the Tigers in points and *ists for the season; four of his 15 goals were recorded as game-winning goals and five of his goals came on the power play. On March 10, 2012, Colorado College lost 3–4 in overtime to Michigan Tech in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
Professional
St. Louis Blues (2012–2021)
Schwartz at the St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup parade.On March 12, 2012, Schwartz decided to forgo his final two years of NCAA eligibility and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues, subsequently adding him to their NHL roster. After travelling and practicing with the team for a week, he was given his first opportunity for NHL play after winger Andy McDonald received a shoulder injury. Schwartz made his NHL debut on March 17, 2012, in Tampa Bay, skating on the second line with Jamie Langenbrunner and Patrik Berglund. During the game, he scored his first NHL goal, a game-winner, from his first NHL shot on the powerplay at the 19:24 mark of the first period, when he intercepted a rebound in front of the net and beat Tampa Bay goaltender Dwayne Roloson.
Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Schwartz was one of 25 to be sent down to the Blues' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen, to play the 2012–13 season.
On September 27, 2014, Schwartz agreed to a two-year, $4.7 million contract extension with the Blues after an off-season surrounded with uncertainty about whether he would rejoin the club. Following Vladimír Sobotka's departure for the KHL's Avangard Omsk, Schwartz switched to number 17 beginning in the 2014–15 season, having previously worn number 9 in his Blues career. The change made as a tribute to his late sister, who wore the number playing hockey at Yale, before being diagnosed with leukemia.
On July 15, 2016, the Blues signed Schwartz to a five-year contract for $26.75 million, in order to avoid arbitration.
Schwartz would win the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, St. Louis' first Stanley Cup in their 52-year franchise history. He had two hat tricks during the playoffs and led the Blues in playoff goals with 12 goals, one more than he had scored in 69 regular season games.
Seattle Kraken (2021–present)
Following the 2020–21 season, his tenth with the Blues and having concluded his contract, Schwartz embarked upon free agency for the first time in his career. On July 28, 2021, Schwartz was signed by expansion club, the Seattle Kraken, agreeing to a five-year, $27.5 million contract. On a game on December 29, against the Philadelphia Flyers, Schwartz took injury to the hand. On January 6, 2022, the Kraken announced Schwartz would not be able to play for about a month as the injury would require surgery. Out longer than expected, he was activated from the injured reserve on March 5.
Schwartz would score the first playoff goal in Seattle in nearly 104 years on April 22, 2023, against the Colorado Avalanche, in game three of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The last goal scored was by Bernie Morris, in a 9–1 win over the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup.
International play
Schwartz represents Canada internationally. His first experience with Hockey Canada came while representing Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge in 2008, capturing a silver medal, after falling to the United States in what would have been Canada's third consecutive gold. He would alose play at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2009, with a fourth-place finish. Schwartz helped Canada capture a gold medal at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Schwartz scored a goal and added an *ist in the gold medal game. He was selected to represent Canada at the 2011 World Junior Championships. In his second game of the tournament, against the Czech Republic, Schwartz suffered a fractured ankle and was sidelined for the rest of the tournament. He was selected the next year to Team Canada for the 2012 World Junior Championships in Edmonton and Calgary and named team captain. Playing Russia in the semifinal, Schwartz recorded a goal and five shots to be named Canada's player of the game in a 6–5 losing effort. He finished the tournament with two goals and three *ists for five points over six games, as Canada won the bronze medal over Finland.
On April 12, 2018, Schwartz was named to Team Canada's senior team for the first time to compete at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. However, on May 18, he would get injured and miss the rest of the compe*ion.
Personal life
Schwartz was born in Melfort, Saskatchewan and grew up in Wilcox, Saskatchewan to parents Rick and Carol Schwartz. He has an older brother, Rylan, who also played hockey at Colorado College, and now plays for the K*el Huskies of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL2), and an older sister, Mandi, who played hockey with the Yale Bulldogs team until she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in December 2008. Despite trying to find a donor for Mandi and, in the process, raising awareness of bone marrow and stem cell transplants, Mandi would die in April 2011 following a third relapse of the cancer.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jaden Schwartz.- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or:Eliteprospects.com, or:Hockey-Reference.com, or:The Internet Hockey Database
