Spittin’ Chiclets analyst Colby Armstrong was surprised by the hype around Regina Pats' forward Maddox Schultz.
"We got a Saskie phenom -- let's go! Have we had this... like Jared Stoll? Has anyone been on the radar for this out of Sask? Jeff Friesen, Wendel Clark, Gordie Howe," Armstrong said on the SportsCage.
"The thing about it now is social media. My son has social media and on Instagram there are Maddox Schultz highlight videos -- I love it."
Schultz is now with the Regina Pats after his local team selected him with the first overall pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft. Unknown to Armstrong, his mother Rosemary has a connection with Schultz that he was not aware of.
"I used to figure skate with his mom back in the day. My mom used to coach and his mom was a figure skater as well," Armstrong said. "My mom was telling me stories: 'Don't you remember her? I'm like: 'I kind of can't really remember.' He comes from that background of figure skating, edge work skating -- it's on another level."
The Lloydminster, SK native played in the NHL from 2004 through 2014, but Armstrong was never able to win a Stanley Cup. The former first round NHL Draft pick appreciates the adversity Edmonton Oilers' goalie Stuart Skinner has endured in his career and attempt to win a championship.
"He's a good goaltender, but do you blame the fans? He's either letting in six, or he's getting a shutout," Armstrong explained. "He's done a lot of extracurriculars on the side of dealing with himself, being a goaltender, the ups and downs and being in a pressure cooker of an insane hockey market that is Edmonton, especially this time of the year when you get this far. I give him a ton of credit, it's not easy to bounce back with all eyeballs on you. He's handled it fairly well."
The 42-year-old Armstrong finds the difference in personalities between Paul Maurice and Kris Knoblauch intriguing.
"Two different guys with two totally different vibes. I've admired Maurice for how open he is about his team. In talking about these guys, I don't have to coach. The bench is running itself," Armstrong said. "These guys are where they're at right now, well-oiled machines ready to go."
