Nick and Carol Schultz: She's the mother and the mayor, all in one

Bruce Kluckhohn, Bruce Kluckhohn

Wild defenseman Nick Schultz’s mother, Carol, is the mayor of Strasbourg, Saskatchewan, population 800.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: May 10, 2008 - 11:55 PM

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PERFECT TEAMS

Professional or amateur, athletes know deep down that they’re involvement and successes are linked directly to the support and sacrifice of mothers (and grandmothers) along the way. Here are four stories of some familiar local sports figures at the upper reaches of their sports and the special people who helped get them there.

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For as long as Nick Schultz can remember, his mother, Carol, has run around 24-7 without taking a breather. That's what happens when you have three hockey-playing boys, are a full-timer banker and forever are a member of the town council.

"Besides taking us to practices and stuff like that, every night it seemed she had a town meeting," said Schultz, the Wild defenseman locked up through the 2013-14 season thanks to a six-year extension.

Today, besides working at the local RBC, Carol is the mayor of the town of Strasbourg, Saskatchewan -- population 800.

"Being the youngest, my brothers would always joke around about being a mama's boy, but it's true I always looked for her support," Schultz said. "Even now, when I talk to her after a game where I know I played brutal, she's like, 'Good game.' Mom's always known the right words to say. As a parent now, I just want to be as great a role model."

Carol was especially supportive when Schultz had an appendectomy right before this year's playoffs. Schultz missed five of six games, returning much sooner than expected in hopes of helping the Wild stave off elimination from Colorado.

"He was devastated," Carol Schultz said. "He feels very dedicated to the organization and to the city he's playing in. He was very pained by not being able to play."

It's clear she couldn't be prouder of her 25-year-old son.

"To watch Nicholas play now, and the pride that Robert and I have as parents and then to see the thrill Nicholas' older brothers have, it's very special," Carol Schultz said. "But more so, you can learn how to play hockey and how to do things in life, but to be a good person has to come from within. Nicholas has always been that kind of person. He's so down to earth, and as long as he remains like that and treats his wife and family good, that's all we ask."

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