Railers scouts have tried to get Jake Schultz on their roster for years. Finally, they have succeeded, with Schultz on the ice in a Worcester uniform this season. Schultz, and the team’s managers, couldn’t be happier about the decision.
WORCESTER – If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try again.
It is an old phrase, almost like the 11th Commandment, and the Worcester Railers have taken it to a new level by signing defenseman Jake Schultz.
Schultz made his first official appearance in a Railers uniform Saturday night, joining the team’s 4-2 pre-season victory over the Maine Mariners at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center. He’ll hit the ice for a second time with the Railers in their season opener Saturday at the DCU Center.
By Schultz’s recollection, this was the Railers fourth attempt to get him under contract. This dates back to the Dave Cunniff days, and last season Schultz played in five games for Worcester, all of them on the road. That included a weekend in glorious St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he scored two goals.
He is 27, a physical presence at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. This will be his seventh season as a pro and his resume has several bullet points that jump from the page. Namely, Schultz has played in three different leagues — the ECHL, the Southern League (SPHL) and the Federal League (FPHL). He has also piled up the PIM, such as 140 in 2017-18 in the ECHL and 136 last season for Binghamton in the FPHL.
So, he fights. Considering how Worcester hockey fans have valued that skill through the years, it wouldn’t be surprising if Schultz’s jersey garners the highest bids in the Railers’ charity auctions this season.
“When I was younger I had to fight all the time,” Schultz said. “That was how I made my name, by not being scared. It’s not all about winning every time. It’s more about stepping up to the plate, but as I’m getting older it’s not that I don’t like it so much, but I’m fighting for all my teammates. I’m kind of over fighting for myself.
“If someone challenges me and that’s what we need, in that moment, I’ll do whatever it takes to put our team in a great position.”
The thing is, Schultz’s value is more than a series of major penalties, something the Railers recognized last season.
“We saw his ability as a player,” coach Jordan Smotherman said, “and we also saw how great he was with the guys in our room. Everybody loved him, and that has just continued.”
Last season was, to date, a career year for Schultz. He captained the Binghamton Black Bears to a 36-15-5 record and was honored as the Federal League’s best defenseman, his partner on the blue line being Colan Fitzgerald, brother of WooSox fan favorite Ryan Fitzgerald.
Schultz could have played a level up, but aside from those five Railers games, chose not to.
“The letters of the league aren’t as important to me as to find a good group of guys, on the same page with a common goal, and it’s hard to leave your friends,” he said. “Being the captain of a team is a very special thing for me.
“Don’t get me wrong. I wanted to come here. This is an amazing spot and everyone gets treated well and it’s a great league to play in, but for me being captain was a very special thing. I’m happy to be here right now and I think we’re gonna have a great year.”
There were also family considerations. Schultz is from Rochester — he has dealt with fan favorite Rory Fitzpatrick from the IceCats back home — and Binghamton was close to home. Also, his wife Sierra did not want to change baby doctors.
The Schultzes are now happily ensconced in Charlton along with their new baby boy.
“[His name is] Conan, like the barbarian,” Schultz said.
Hockey careers tend to be short. Schultz has already had a pretty good one, longer than many, and has spent the last few years preparing for his next occupation. He would like to be a firefighter and has been active in getting ready for that.
Some Worcester pros from the past have done the same thing. Chris Murray and Cody Rudkowsky of the IceCats became firefighters. So did Ashton Rome of the Sharks, then Railers.
“It’s a very honorable career,” Schultz said.
It will have to wait, though, for at least another year. It took four tries to get him into a Railers uniform and the team would like to have him stick around for a while.
Bill Ballou covered the Red Sox for the Worcester Telegram from 1997 through 2018. He has covered pro hockey in Worcester since 1994 and currently does a weekly column for the Worcester Red Sox. Ballou can be reached at vetgoalie@aol.com
