Cole Schwindt Explained

Cole Schwindt
Birth Date:25 April 2001
Birth Place:Breslau, Ontario, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lbs:183
Position:Centre
Shoots:Right
League:NHL
Team:Calgary Flames
Prospect League:AHL
Prospect Team:Calgary Wranglers
Former Teams:Florida Panthers
Draft:81st overall
Draft Year:2019
Draft Team:Florida Panthers
Career Start:2021

Cole Schwindt (born April 25, 2001) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward with the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 81st overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Schwindt played as a youth with the Kitchener Jr. Rangers of the Alliance Hockey League before playing major junior hockey with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

After his second season with the Steelheads in 2018–19, Schwindt was selected in the third-round, 81st overall, by the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

In the following 2019–20 season, Schwindt appeared in 57 games with Mississauga, recording a team-leading 71 points with 28 goals and 43 assists. On April 9, 2020, Schwindt was signed by the Panthers to a three-year, entry-level contract.[1]

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic delayed the commencement of the 2020–21 season, Schwindt ended his junior career and made his professional debut with the Panthers temporary AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Remaining with the Crunch, Schwindt appeared in 10 games registering 2 points.

Approaching the season, Schwindt attended the Panthers training camp before he was reassigned to primary AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, to begin the campaign.[2] While quickly regaining his scoring touch, Schwindt was leading the Checkers in goals before he received his first NHL recall to the injury affected Panthers on December 16, 2021.[3] He was immediately inserted in the Panthers shortened lineup that day and made his NHL debut in a 4–1 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings.[4] He was then returned to continue with the Checkers on December 18, 2021.

On July 22, 2022, Schwindt was included in the blockbuster trade for the Panthers along with Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and a conditional 2025 first-round selection to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk and a conditional fourth-round selection in 2025.[5]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2017–18Mississauga SteelheadsOHL66 8 10 18 206 0 1 1 0
2018–19Mississauga SteelheadsOHL68 19 30 49 254 1 0 1 2
2019–20Mississauga SteelheadsOHL57 28 43 71 31
2020–21Syracuse CrunchAHL10 1 1 2 10
2021–22Charlotte CheckersAHL72 19 21 40 217 1 2 3 0
2021–22Florida PanthersNHL3 0 0 0 0
2022–23Calgary WranglersAHL70 14 18 32 298 3 1 4 2
2023–24Calgary WranglersAHL66 14 22 36 316 4 1 5 0
2023–24Calgary FlamesNHL4 0 0 0 2
NHL totals7 0 0 0 2

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Panthers agree to terms with forward Cole Schwindt . . April 9, 2020 . April 9, 2020.
  2. Web site: Panthers trim camp roster, send group to Charlotte . . October 2, 2021 . October 2, 2021.
  3. Web site: Panthers recall four . . December 16, 2021 . December 16, 2021.
  4. Web site: Kings add to short-handed Panthers woes with 4-1 victory . . December 16, 2021 . December 16, 2021.
  5. Web site: Panthers acquire Tkachuk from Flames in blockbuster for Huberdeau, Weegar . . July 22, 2022 . July 22, 2022.