Thomas Schemitsch

Canadian ice hockey player
Ice hockey player
Thomas Schemitsch
Schemitsch in 2024
Born (1996-10-26) 26 October 1996 (age 27)
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
team
Former teams		 Free agent
Springfield Thunderbirds
Cleveland Monsters
Malmö Redhawks
NHL Draft 88th overall, 2015
Florida Panthers
Playing career 2016–present

Thomas Schemitsch (born 26 October 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently a free agent. He was drafted 88th overall by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and previously played for the Springfield Thunderbirds and Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Playing career

Junior

After playing junior hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) and the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), Schemitsch was drafted 91st overall in the fifth round of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. The Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) signed him on 1 August 2013.[1][2]

In his OHL debut on 20 September 2013, Schemitsch made his first OHL assist in a 5–3 win against the Mississauga Steelheads.[3] On 5 October 2013, he made his first OHL goal in a 4–2 win against the Kitchener Rangers.[4] Overall, he played 63 games with six goals and 11 assists in his rookie OHL season. He improved his numbers in his sophomore season, playing 68 seasons with 14 goals and 35 assists. Prior to his final OHL season, Schemitsch was named as an alternate captain of the Owen Sound Attack, playing 51 games with nine goals and 22 assists.[5][2]

Professional

After being drafted 88th overall by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Panthers signed Schemitsch to a three-year entry-level contract on 8 October 2016.[6]

On 15 October 2016, he made his professional debut in a 4–2 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, which was the first game the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Panthers' AHL affiliate, ever played. He scored his first professional goal on 4 April 2017, in a 2–1 loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In his rookie AHL season, he played 37 games with one goal and three assists and was recalled temporarily for 17 games to the Manchester Monarchs in the third-tier East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). In his next season, he improved his numbers, appearing in 69 games with ten goals and nine assists for the Thunderbirds. In the 2018–19 AHL season, he played 56 games with nine goals and 15 assists.

On 17 July 2019, the Panthers re-signed Schemitsch to a one-year two-way contract, and he played 57 games with four goals and 11 assists for the Thunderbirds in the 2019–20 AHL season.[7] After his contract with the Panthers expired, he did not receive a qualifying offer.[8] On 21 October 2020, Schemitsch signed a one-year AHL contract with the Cleveland Monsters, ultimately playing 28 games with two goals and 16 assists in the shortened season.[9] The Monsters re-signed him a one-year AHL contract on 12 July 2021.[10]

Following his sixth season in the AHL, Schemitsch opted to pursue a career abroad in agreeing to a one-year contract with Swedish club, Malmö Redhawks of the SHL, on August 17, 2022.[11]

Personal life

Schemitsch's brother, Geoffrey, is a former ice hockey defenceman who also played for the Owen Sound Attack and was drafted 96th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fourth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[12]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2012–13 Toronto Lakeshore Patriots OJHL 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
2013–14 Owen Sound Attack OHL 63 6 11 17 26 5 1 0 1 2
2014–15 Owen Sound Attack OHL 68 14 35 49 36 5 0 2 2 2
2015–16 Owen Sound Attack OHL 51 9 22 31 22 6 0 4 4 2
2016–17 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 37 1 3 4 4 — — — — —
2016–17 Manchester Monarchs ECHL 17 1 7 8 6 16 0 6 6 8
2017–18 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 69 10 9 19 40 — — — — —
2018–19 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 56 9 15 24 31 — — — — —
2019–20 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 57 4 11 15 40 — — — — —
2020–21 Cleveland Monsters AHL 28 2 16 18 19 — — — — —
2021–22 Cleveland Monsters AHL 71 6 17 23 46 — — — — —
2022–23 Malmö Redhawks SHL 49 3 11 14 56 — — — — —
AHL totals 318 32 71 103 180 — — — — —

References

  1. ^ "Toronto Titans' grad Thomas Schemitsch commits to Owen Sound Attack". Ontario Hockey League. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Thomas Schemitsch at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  3. ^ "Game summary: Owen Sound Attack – Mississauga Steelheads, September 20th, 2013". Ontario Hockey League. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Game summary: Kitchener Ranger – Owen Sound Attack, October 5th, 2013". Ontario Hockey League. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Attack name Centorame captain". Owen Sound Attack Hockey. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Panthers Sign Defenseman Thomas Schemitsch to ELC". National Hockey League. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Panthers' Thomas Schemitsch: Lands one-year deal". CBS Sports. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Thomas Schemitsch: Set loose by Panthers". CBS Sports. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Monsters add Schemitsch on AHL deal". American Hockey League. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Monsters sign trio of players to AHL contracts for 2021–22 season". Cleveland Monsters. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Canadian defenseman for Redhawks" (in Swedish). Malmö Redhawks. August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  12. ^ Sczublewski, Nathalie (13 July 2015). "2015 Draft a 'Dream' for Panthers Prospect Schemitsch". National Hockey League. Retrieved 15 November 2021.

External links

  • Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or ESPN.com, or The Internet Hockey Database