Could Cameron Schmidt better the Vancouver Giants goals record?
The team mark is 61, set by Ty Ronning. Schmidt tallied 40 times last season and was flying around the ice on the opening day of Giants training camp Thursday
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Goal scoring is always a logical topic when it comes to conversations regarding Cameron Schmidt, the Vancouver Giants darting, daring and diminutive winger.
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He scored 31 times as a rookie two seasons ago, becoming just the seventh 16-year-old player in three decades in the WHL to hit the 30 plateau. Other names on that list include Patrick Marleau and Connor Bedard. The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Schmidt followed up by recording 40 tallies last season, and that made the Prince George product just the third 17-year-old in Giants history to get to that mark, joining Brendan Gallagher and Evander Kane.
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Could Schmidt chase down Ty Ronning’s single-season team record of 61 goals, which was set in Ronning’s 20-year-old campaign in 2017-18? It seems feasible.
The Giants opened training camp for the 2025-26 season on Thursday at the Ladner Leisure Centre and Schmidt had three goals in an 8-0 romp for Team Red over Team White.
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Afterward, Schmidt said: “I have ideas of what I want to aim for,” as far as personal numbers this season, and “I hope that I can reach that level.” He didn’t offer much more and preferred to drive the talk toward team goals.
Giants fans will appreciate that line of thinking, considering recent team success. The Giants have lost in the first round of the playoffs the past three seasons. There was a staff changeover this summer, with Hnat Domenichelli and Parker Burgess, respectively, coming in as general manager and head coach. They replace Barclay Parneta and Manny Viveiros, both of whom agreed to part ways with the club.
Schmidt talked specifically about wanting to be a team leader, about wanting to “help the young guys like guys helped me when I was one of the younger guys.” As flashy as his game is, Schmidt comes off as shy and reserved off the ice. All this feels like a good step for him and the team.
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Schmidt was a third-round pick (No. 94) by the Dallas Stars in June’s NHL Draft and attended the Stars development camp. Among the things he talked about learning were leadership skills.
“It’s another tool for your tool box,” Schmidt said. “It’s something I want to work on.”
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Vancouver has yet to pick their captain or their alternates for the season. Asked about whether he’d like to be in that mix, Schmidt said: “I’ve worn a letter on teams in the past, and obviously to be able to represent that team in that way was an awesome feeling. But you don’t need a letter to be a leader.”
There was some buzz last season about Schmidt being a possible first-round pick. TSN’s Craig Button regularly championed Schmidt’s cause, saying that “he lacks height — nothing else,” and slotting him at No. 19 in his final pre-draft rankings.
You could understand then if Schmidt had a chip on his shoulder about where he was picked, but the first words out of his mouth about the draft on Thursday were “I think I went to a great spot.”
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He pointed to how 5-foot-8, 165-pound forward Logan Stankoven flourished with the Stars. Stankoven, the former Kamloops Blazer, is now with the Carolina Hurricanes, switching teams as part of the Stars’ blockbuster to get Mikko Rantanen.
“I got picked by a team that’s shown that it can help develop smaller guys and find ways to fit them in their system,” Schmidt said. “I’m happy and quite fortunate to be with a team like Dallas.
“I had an idea that I could be a guy who would drop in the draft. It’s always been like that for me. In the end, it’s what happens after the draft that matters.
“There have been tons of small guys play in the league and there are tons playing in it right now. I’m using that as motivation, and I’m just trying to get one per cent better every day.”
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Schmidt’s 72 career goals — he scored once as a 15-year-old underage call-up — have him one behind new Vancouver Canuck Kane for 13th spot in Giants team history. His 137 career points are also one in back of Kane. Kane played 134 regular season games with Vancouver. Schmidt is at 123 games.
Gallagher (136) is the Giants all-time leader in goals scored, followed by Ronning (127). Adam Courchaine (126) and Mitch Bartley (107).
The Giants training camp runs through Sunday in Ladner. There are four teams playing games every day. The top two teams will square off in the annual Legends game on Sunday (2 p.m.) to finish off training camp.
The Giants open the regular season Sept. 20, playing host to the expansion Penticton Vees at the Langley Events Centre.
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