Tommy Schutt: QU Men's Ice Hockey's "Grinder"
1/26/2017 10:56:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Tyler Brosious, special to QuinnipiacBobcats.com
A quick internet search for "hockey terms" produces words like "backchecking" and "icing" - words specific to the game and more common-place to even the non-traditional hockey fans. If you keep digging, you'll find a glossary of words that complete the hockey vernacular. According to SchoolYardPuck.com, the definition of a "grinder" is: "a player who digs deep, hustles to make plays.Usually better known for checking and disruption rather than scoring ability. Like a lineman in football, he works hard but rarely gets recognized for his hard work."
A quick internet search for Quinnipiac men's ice hockey produces names like Reid Cashman, Eric Hartzell, Matthew Peca and Sam Anas - names that ring-out when you look for the history of the Bobcats and Rand Pecknold's elite program. If you keep digging, you'll find a list of players that don't show up on the final box score, players like senior assistant captain Tommy Schutt. You may not hear Schutty's name called out over the High Point Solutions Arena's public address system or see it ranked among the DI scoring leaders, but players like Schutt have helped Quinnipiac to four-straight NCAA appearances and two Frozen Fours, as well as three Cleary Cups in the last four years and the program's first Whitelaw Cup.
FROM THE POND TO THE FROZEN FOUR
When Tommy Schutt hopped over the boards and onto the ice less than five minutes into the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey National Championship Game in April, the crowd of 19,358 fans that filled Amalie Arena – home of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and host of the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four - didn't shake him.
Growing up in Chanhassen, Minnesota, Schutt had seen large audiences line the glass and fill arenas for hockey games before at Minnetonka High School, where he led the Skippers to the Minnesota State Tournament.
"There were big games and big rivalries and when you had big games like that, it would sell out," Schutt explained. "There would be 2,000 people packed into the stands."
When Schutt and the Skippers faced off against the in-state rival Edina in the State Finals - which came after a four-overtime win in the semifinals - the crowd grew exponentially.
"The Minnesota State tournament was a little bigger," Schutt said. "Then you're talking about crowds of 17 or 18,000 fans, kind of like Frozen Four numbers. It's kind of surreal and very overwhelming at 17 or 18 years old."
Schutt didn't let the pressure get to him, notching an assist on both of the Skippers' goals in a 4-2 loss against their state rivals.
But long before he was a high school star, Schutt's passion for the game of hockey came before he could walk, thanks in part to watching his older brothers, Mike and Steve, play when he was just three years old.
"Just seeing their interest in it, watching them play, I used to go to all their games when we were younger and growing up." Schutt said, "I guess I just grew up with it around the house and around the family"
Schutt started to lace up his skates and hit the ice anywhere he could. His neighbors would clear the snow off of a frozen pond, allowing all the kids the chance to practice their shots and their celebrations. For Schutt, this served as an opportunity to channel his inner Brent Burns, his favorite player on the Minnesota Wild growing up, and get the competitive juices flowing.
The Schutt boys and their friends would skate for hours on the pond, with dinner serving as intermission before they jumped back on the pond, usually before their meal was even digested.
"We would head right back out until our parents would call us back in for the night." Schutt said about his post-dinner ritual. "We would be out there till midnight sometimes on the weekends when we had a big group."
With temperatures dropping below zero on those nights, Schutt would throw on a Teemu Selanne Finland jersey - a sort of homage to his mother's side of the family, which was 100% Finnish.
As Schutt grew out of the neighborhood pond his senior year of high school, even with a strong high school baseball career forming, the center fielder knew his passion was with the sport of hockey and the potential that came with it.
"My passion was always hockey." Schutt said. "The chance to play in college and then take it to another level was something that coaches, family, and friends would tell me. Once I realized that that could be a reality, it was the love of the game from an early age that helped me follow through and I haven't lost that love since."
JUNIOR HOCKEY AND QUINNIPIAC
After serving as a senior captain of both his hockey and baseball teams, Schutt was drafted by the Lincoln Stars in the United State Hockey Leauge (USHL) Draft in 2010, an experience that was very new to him.
"I wasn't going to school. It wasn't like I was going right to college like a majority of guys from Minnesota," Schutt said. "Where I'm from it was a lot of 'go play high school hockey then go play college hockey.' That was kind of the dream. Not a lot of guys did juniors. But it was the best experience for me and probably the most important two years of my life as I was growing up."
While settling into new surroundings, Schutt produced on the ice for the Stars, striking for seven goals and assisting on 13 others for Lincoln in 47 games during his first season. That was when he was first contacted by Quinnipiac associate head coach Bill Riga.
"My first thought was that I'm from Minnesota and I have no idea where Quinnipiac is," Schutt said, chuckling. "At first, it wasn't my favorite idea. Being from Minnesota, you want to go school in the Midwest, just because so many guys from where I grew up have gone before."
Schutt continued to grow, forming a leadership role with the Stars and continuing to find his way onto the score sheet. During his second season, Schutt collected double digit numbers in both goals (10) and assists (13) in 47 games while also posting a +7. Then Quinnipiac reached out again.
"Bill Riga showed up to one of my games at Lincoln, and I met with him after the game in the locker room and we were talking and he showed more interest," Said Schutt. "Then I realized Jake Meyers, who I played against in high school, went there as well, and I reached out to him. He told me how different it was from the Midwest and he told me how much he loved Quinnipiac and how awesome Quinnipiac was."
Schutt, after just one visit, quickly fell in love with the campus, the atmosphere, and his soon-to-be teammates.
"It felt like a perfect fit." Schutt said.
THE RECIPE FOR A "GRINDER"
Since he first put on the Bobcat Navy and Gold, Schutt made an immediate impact on the ice for Rand Pecknold's squad. In his four years, he has grown into one of the strongest and most defiant defensive forwards in ECAC Hockey in his first three years with the program. The team saw improvement too, reaching three-straight NCAA Tournaments after clinching a pair of Cleary Cup trophies and ultimately, the Whitelaw and NCAA Frozen Four in 2016.
Schutt's assignment on any given night jumps from harassing an opposing team's prolific scorer to dropping down and blocking shots. One constant, on every night, is that Schutt has become a team-first skater. Something that hasn't gone unseen by his coaches.
"I think Schutty has had a great year," Pecknold said. "I think his freshman and sophomore year, he was a fourth-line guy – very solid and committed - and then last year as a junior I think he really a breakthrough year. Then he was not only killing penalties but bringing a lot of energy and competing. He's a really good defensive center and we get a lot of zone time as a line."
Schutt currently stands 26th in the nation and 10th in ECAC Hockey with 22 blocked shots – a tick under one-per-game.
"I think this year he has made another big jump," Pecknold said. "He's been one of our top two or three forwards and I think his compete level has been excellent. He wins a lot of battles and wins a lot of races."
"Being a defensive forward is a lot of just buying-in and playing for your teammates," Schutt said. "They always say 'shot blocking is not really a skill, it's a will'. Not everyone is willing to shot block, and that's something that I have always taken to heart."
Schutt has seen his strongest performance come in an area that does not find the front page of the papers, the faceoff circle. He's currently third in the Bobcats' line-up after winning a majority of his face-offs to date.
"Face-offs are huge, being able to get possession of the puck, that's one of the biggest parts of the game," Schutt said. "When you have possession of the puck, the other team can't score and if the other team can't score, then they can't win."
For Schutt, the face-offs and blocked shots form the foundation of his game that the senior has prided himself while becoming a more complete player.
"I just try to focus on more of the small things. I understand that I don't score as many goals, but they always say 'the goals will come'", Schutt said. "I just try focus on the smaller things that will help the time win in the end … winning face-offs… blocking shots…playing strong in the defensive zone. I try to bring energy to the team, whether it be on a shift or on the bench."
Schutt, who currently sits tied for fourth on the team with five goals, finds himself competing in almost everything he does. Whether it's a round of golf or a game of pick-up hoops, Schutt is a gamer and isn't afraid to compete against anyone.
For Schutt it's simple: do anything and everything to make the team better. Whether it is a game-tying goal, a big face-off win while on the penalty kill, or taking a slapper off the shin that stings worse than a Minnesota wind back on the pond in the neighborhood, it doesn't matter to Schutt as long as the team is succeeding.
"I'm going to block shots, because that's the difference between a few minutes of pain and keeping the puck out of the net and possibly losing," Schutt said. "I'll take one in the leg for the boys, rather than letting up a goal that would cause us to lose. I would do that every day. That's just who I am as a person."
Tyler Brosious is a senior journalism major in Quinnipiac's School of Communication and the newest feature writer for QuinnipiacBobcats.com. For all the news, student-athlete features and updates on Quinnipiac Athletics, visit QuinnipiacBobcats.com or follow on Twitter @QUAthletics
A quick internet search for "hockey terms" produces words like "backchecking" and "icing" - words specific to the game and more common-place to even the non-traditional hockey fans. If you keep digging, you'll find a glossary of words that complete the hockey vernacular. According to SchoolYardPuck.com, the definition of a "grinder" is: "a player who digs deep, hustles to make plays.Usually better known for checking and disruption rather than scoring ability. Like a lineman in football, he works hard but rarely gets recognized for his hard work."
A quick internet search for Quinnipiac men's ice hockey produces names like Reid Cashman, Eric Hartzell, Matthew Peca and Sam Anas - names that ring-out when you look for the history of the Bobcats and Rand Pecknold's elite program. If you keep digging, you'll find a list of players that don't show up on the final box score, players like senior assistant captain Tommy Schutt. You may not hear Schutty's name called out over the High Point Solutions Arena's public address system or see it ranked among the DI scoring leaders, but players like Schutt have helped Quinnipiac to four-straight NCAA appearances and two Frozen Fours, as well as three Cleary Cups in the last four years and the program's first Whitelaw Cup.
FROM THE POND TO THE FROZEN FOUR
When Tommy Schutt hopped over the boards and onto the ice less than five minutes into the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey National Championship Game in April, the crowd of 19,358 fans that filled Amalie Arena – home of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and host of the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four - didn't shake him.
Growing up in Chanhassen, Minnesota, Schutt had seen large audiences line the glass and fill arenas for hockey games before at Minnetonka High School, where he led the Skippers to the Minnesota State Tournament.
"There were big games and big rivalries and when you had big games like that, it would sell out," Schutt explained. "There would be 2,000 people packed into the stands."
When Schutt and the Skippers faced off against the in-state rival Edina in the State Finals - which came after a four-overtime win in the semifinals - the crowd grew exponentially.
"The Minnesota State tournament was a little bigger," Schutt said. "Then you're talking about crowds of 17 or 18,000 fans, kind of like Frozen Four numbers. It's kind of surreal and very overwhelming at 17 or 18 years old."
Schutt didn't let the pressure get to him, notching an assist on both of the Skippers' goals in a 4-2 loss against their state rivals.
But long before he was a high school star, Schutt's passion for the game of hockey came before he could walk, thanks in part to watching his older brothers, Mike and Steve, play when he was just three years old.
"Just seeing their interest in it, watching them play, I used to go to all their games when we were younger and growing up." Schutt said, "I guess I just grew up with it around the house and around the family"
Schutt started to lace up his skates and hit the ice anywhere he could. His neighbors would clear the snow off of a frozen pond, allowing all the kids the chance to practice their shots and their celebrations. For Schutt, this served as an opportunity to channel his inner Brent Burns, his favorite player on the Minnesota Wild growing up, and get the competitive juices flowing.
The Schutt boys and their friends would skate for hours on the pond, with dinner serving as intermission before they jumped back on the pond, usually before their meal was even digested.
"We would head right back out until our parents would call us back in for the night." Schutt said about his post-dinner ritual. "We would be out there till midnight sometimes on the weekends when we had a big group."
With temperatures dropping below zero on those nights, Schutt would throw on a Teemu Selanne Finland jersey - a sort of homage to his mother's side of the family, which was 100% Finnish.
As Schutt grew out of the neighborhood pond his senior year of high school, even with a strong high school baseball career forming, the center fielder knew his passion was with the sport of hockey and the potential that came with it.
"My passion was always hockey." Schutt said. "The chance to play in college and then take it to another level was something that coaches, family, and friends would tell me. Once I realized that that could be a reality, it was the love of the game from an early age that helped me follow through and I haven't lost that love since."
JUNIOR HOCKEY AND QUINNIPIAC
After serving as a senior captain of both his hockey and baseball teams, Schutt was drafted by the Lincoln Stars in the United State Hockey Leauge (USHL) Draft in 2010, an experience that was very new to him.
"I wasn't going to school. It wasn't like I was going right to college like a majority of guys from Minnesota," Schutt said. "Where I'm from it was a lot of 'go play high school hockey then go play college hockey.' That was kind of the dream. Not a lot of guys did juniors. But it was the best experience for me and probably the most important two years of my life as I was growing up."
While settling into new surroundings, Schutt produced on the ice for the Stars, striking for seven goals and assisting on 13 others for Lincoln in 47 games during his first season. That was when he was first contacted by Quinnipiac associate head coach Bill Riga.
"My first thought was that I'm from Minnesota and I have no idea where Quinnipiac is," Schutt said, chuckling. "At first, it wasn't my favorite idea. Being from Minnesota, you want to go school in the Midwest, just because so many guys from where I grew up have gone before."
Schutt continued to grow, forming a leadership role with the Stars and continuing to find his way onto the score sheet. During his second season, Schutt collected double digit numbers in both goals (10) and assists (13) in 47 games while also posting a +7. Then Quinnipiac reached out again.
"Bill Riga showed up to one of my games at Lincoln, and I met with him after the game in the locker room and we were talking and he showed more interest," Said Schutt. "Then I realized Jake Meyers, who I played against in high school, went there as well, and I reached out to him. He told me how different it was from the Midwest and he told me how much he loved Quinnipiac and how awesome Quinnipiac was."
Schutt, after just one visit, quickly fell in love with the campus, the atmosphere, and his soon-to-be teammates.
"It felt like a perfect fit." Schutt said.
THE RECIPE FOR A "GRINDER"
Since he first put on the Bobcat Navy and Gold, Schutt made an immediate impact on the ice for Rand Pecknold's squad. In his four years, he has grown into one of the strongest and most defiant defensive forwards in ECAC Hockey in his first three years with the program. The team saw improvement too, reaching three-straight NCAA Tournaments after clinching a pair of Cleary Cup trophies and ultimately, the Whitelaw and NCAA Frozen Four in 2016.
Schutt's assignment on any given night jumps from harassing an opposing team's prolific scorer to dropping down and blocking shots. One constant, on every night, is that Schutt has become a team-first skater. Something that hasn't gone unseen by his coaches.
"I think Schutty has had a great year," Pecknold said. "I think his freshman and sophomore year, he was a fourth-line guy – very solid and committed - and then last year as a junior I think he really a breakthrough year. Then he was not only killing penalties but bringing a lot of energy and competing. He's a really good defensive center and we get a lot of zone time as a line."
Schutt currently stands 26th in the nation and 10th in ECAC Hockey with 22 blocked shots – a tick under one-per-game.
"I think this year he has made another big jump," Pecknold said. "He's been one of our top two or three forwards and I think his compete level has been excellent. He wins a lot of battles and wins a lot of races."
"Being a defensive forward is a lot of just buying-in and playing for your teammates," Schutt said. "They always say 'shot blocking is not really a skill, it's a will'. Not everyone is willing to shot block, and that's something that I have always taken to heart."
Schutt has seen his strongest performance come in an area that does not find the front page of the papers, the faceoff circle. He's currently third in the Bobcats' line-up after winning a majority of his face-offs to date.
"Face-offs are huge, being able to get possession of the puck, that's one of the biggest parts of the game," Schutt said. "When you have possession of the puck, the other team can't score and if the other team can't score, then they can't win."
For Schutt, the face-offs and blocked shots form the foundation of his game that the senior has prided himself while becoming a more complete player.
"I just try to focus on more of the small things. I understand that I don't score as many goals, but they always say 'the goals will come'", Schutt said. "I just try focus on the smaller things that will help the time win in the end … winning face-offs… blocking shots…playing strong in the defensive zone. I try to bring energy to the team, whether it be on a shift or on the bench."
Schutt, who currently sits tied for fourth on the team with five goals, finds himself competing in almost everything he does. Whether it's a round of golf or a game of pick-up hoops, Schutt is a gamer and isn't afraid to compete against anyone.
For Schutt it's simple: do anything and everything to make the team better. Whether it is a game-tying goal, a big face-off win while on the penalty kill, or taking a slapper off the shin that stings worse than a Minnesota wind back on the pond in the neighborhood, it doesn't matter to Schutt as long as the team is succeeding.
"I'm going to block shots, because that's the difference between a few minutes of pain and keeping the puck out of the net and possibly losing," Schutt said. "I'll take one in the leg for the boys, rather than letting up a goal that would cause us to lose. I would do that every day. That's just who I am as a person."
Tyler Brosious is a senior journalism major in Quinnipiac's School of Communication and the newest feature writer for QuinnipiacBobcats.com. For all the news, student-athlete features and updates on Quinnipiac Athletics, visit QuinnipiacBobcats.com or follow on Twitter @QUAthletics
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