Justin Schultz

Justin Schultz (born July 6, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He has previously played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

Schultz was born on July 6, 1990, in Kelowna, British Columbia to parents Kim and Glenn.

Growing up in British Columbia, Schultz played three seasons of Junior A ice hockey with the Westside Warriors of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).

He made his debut with the Warriors during the 2006–07 season after being called up from their midget double-A team.

After scoring in his BCHL debut, Schultz returned to the Warriors full time for the 2007–08 season.

Through his first full season with the Warriors, Schultz was selected to participate in the Canadian Junior Hockey League Prospects Game.

He also began to draw interest from college team scouts and was named on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's rankings.

While enrolled at Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary School, Schultz committed to play Division 1 collegiate hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team at the University of Wisconsin.

At the time of the commitment, he had accumulated eight goals and 26 assists through 50 games.

He finished the 2007–08 regular season with nine goals and 31 assists for 40 points through 57 games.

Schultz was eventually drafted 43rd overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Following the BCHL, Schultz played Division 1 collegiate hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team at the University of Wisconsin for three years.

He had a successful collegiate career where he set numerous program records.

He became the third player in WCHA history to win two WCHA Defensive Player of the Year awards as he also became the first Badger defenseman to lead a team in goal scoring.

As Schultz was unable to come to a contract agreement with the Ducks, he was heavily recruited by nearly all NHL teams following his junior year.

As he finished second in scoring among defensemen in his conference, Schultz was named the conference’s Top Defenseman for 2008.

Following his breakthrough rookie season, Schultz was drafted in the second round, 43rd overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

He subsequently partook in the Ducks' Rookie Camp before returning to the Warriors for the 2008–09 season.

Upon rejoining the Warriors, Schultz was selected to represent Team West at the 2008 World Junior A Challenge with whom he won a silver medal.

Upon returning to the BCHL, Schultz was selected for the B.C. Hockey League's Interior Conference All Star team.

He finished his second season with the Warriors as the only BCHL defenseman to average a point per game with 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points through 49 games.

He was subsequently named the conference’s Top Defenseman for the second consecutive year.

Schultz played collegiate hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team for three seasons before turning professional.

During his tenure with the Badgers, he played in 121 games and scored 40 goals and 73 assists.

In his freshman season with the Badgers, Schultz immediately made an impact on the team, alongside defensive partner Cody Goloubef, as he helped them become one of the conference's best power units.

The Badgers maintained a winning record of 6–3–1 as Schultz scored his first collegiate goal on November 13, 2009, in a 6–2 win over Alaska.

His play throughout the season helped lift the Badgers to the WCHA Final Five, the collective name for the quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship rounds.

During this time, Schultz was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team after he led all WCHA rookie defensemen with 16 points in league games.

Schultz and the Badgers eventually faced off against Boston College in the National Championship Game, which they lost 5–0.

Upon returning to Wisconsin for his sophomore season, Schultz was paired with Jake Gardiner as the team's top defensive pairing.

As the Badgers began the season with a six-game winless streak, Schultz made an immediate impact on the ice by scoring a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Michigan State in the College Hockey Showcase.

He subsequently became the fifth defenseman in program history to score three goals in a game.

Following the hat trick, Schultz received the WCHA defensive player of the week honour while Gardiner received the offensive player of the week honour.

His two-way play helped him rank second on the team in scoring by early December and earmed him praise from teammates.

He eventually chose to sign with the Edmonton Oilers on June 30, 2012, and remained with the organization for four seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016.

Schultz won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

Schultz was born in Kelowna, British Columbia, and grew up in the nearby City of West Kelowna.

Growing up in Kelowna, Schultz played three seasons of Junior A ice hockey with the Westside Warriors of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).

During his rookie season with the Warriors, he began to draw interest from hockey scouts and was named on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's rankings.