Nick Schmaltz, Christian Dvorak, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Christian Fischer all grew up playing for the Chicago Mission youth ice hockey club. Today, the Mission is considered one of the best AAA youth ice hockey clubs in the nation. The quartet played for the Arizona Coyotes for two seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20) before they went their different ways. Here’s a look at how this group came together in the desert.
The Schmaltz and Dvorak Connection
The chemistry between forwards Schmaltz and Dvorak dates back to their days as linemates with the Mission. Playing for Chicago’s 13u AAA team in 2009, in 31 games Dvorak led the team in points (54). Who was behind him in scoring? Schmaltz with 50. The two played with Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander the following season, and the three of them scored a combined 140 points in 77 games. Born within weeks of each other in 1996, the duo of Schmaltz and Dvorak were eventually paired on the same line in Arizona. However, that would not have happened without a trade that brought the former linemates back together.
Schmaltz was drafted 20th overall in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. During his third season in Chicago, he was traded to the Coyotes for forwards Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini. Dvorak was also drafted the same year as Schmaltz but was selected in the second round by Arizona.
Dvorak commented on being reunited with Schmaltz: “I played with Schmaltzy for a while back then with The Mission, like four or five years,” Dvorak said. “You don’t think about that possibility ever aligning again, so it’s pretty crazy that we’re together again,” (from ‘Christian Dvorak, Nick Schmaltz reviving childhood chemistry with the Coyotes,’ The Athletic, Oct. 25, 2019).
Their connection continued to shine in the NHL. During the 2019-2020 season, Arizona’s head coach Rick Tocchet matched winger Conor Garland with Schmaltz and Dvorak, and that line helped the Coyotes reach the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons: Garland scored a team-best 22 goals, Schmaltz was the team leader in assists (34) and points (45), and Dvorak set his career-best in goals (22) and points (38). The line featured a mixed bag of player types: a 200-foot player (Dvorak), a playmaker (Schmaltz), and a sniper (Garland).
Arizona’s general manager, John Chayka, talked about the bonus of childhood connections: “Certainly, as we talked about building a team here,” Chayka said. “One of the competitive advantages is, if you can get people who grow up with one another and clearly have a care for one another and go through a process together, it allows for synergies and a lot of team-building opportunities.”
Vinnie Hinostroza
Hinostroza is two years older than Schmaltz and Dvorak and did not play at the same age level as them. Although, he did play with Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman for the Mission. In their last season together, in 2009, they combined for 78 points in 72 games. After their time in Chicago ended, their hometown team (the Blackhawks) drafted them. Both played for the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceDogs, and were eventually put on the same line in the NHL. However, they were traded within eight months of each other in 2018, ending their long-lasting connection.
The 5-foot-10, 183-pound forward shared his thoughts when he was traded to Arizona: “When I got that call,” Hinostroza said, “I wasn’t expecting (the trade), but I was talking to Fischer, Dvorak, and Pánik throughout the year, and they had nothing but good things to say about here. It was kind of a relief, actually, because growing up in Chicago and then playing there is a lot of pressure.”
On top of forward Richard Pánik, other former Blackhawks Hinostroza played with in Arizona included goalie Antti Raanta, defensemen Jordan Oesterle and Niklas Hjalmarsson, and forwards Nick Cousins and Schmaltz, and the Chicago connection continued to build chemistry.
In his first season in Arizona (2018-19), Hinostroza set career highs in games played (72), goals (16), assists (23), and points (39). That same season, on March 19, 2019, against the Anaheim Ducks, he scored his first hat trick. Of course, his childhood friend Fischer assisted on his third goal with under a minute remaining in the game.
Christian Fischer
The Mission’s ability to produce pro-level players continued when Fischer was drafted in the second round by the Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Like the other Mission players, the two-way forward played with another NHL draft pick, center Tanner Laczynski. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, where he has had short stints in the NHL. Both played on Chicago’s 13u AAA team in 2010, scoring a combined 81 points in 60 games.
Fischer commented on his reaction to being drafted by Arizona: “I was so happy when I got drafted by the Coyotes because I knew D-Vo (Dvorak) would be at my first development camp, and he was my buddy,” Fischer said. “Then Vinnie gets traded to us, and then Schmaltzy. I think everybody is used to it now, but it’s crazy when you think about it: four guys from the Mission playing for the same NHL team,” (from ‘Chicago guys’ connection plays critical role in Coyotes’ future,’ The Athletic, Sep. 27, 2019).
The 6-foot-2, 212-pound winger’s best statistical season came in his second year in the NHL (2017-18). He scored 15 goals and 33 points in 79 games. Five years later, still playing in Arizona, he scored the first two goals in Coyotes history at Mullett Arena in the franchise’s first game at their short-lived new home.
Where Are These 4 Players Today?
The only player who is still a Coyote today is Schmaltz, with 269 points in 344 games. The North Dakota product has been a reliable option at center or right-wing on the Coyotes’ first line and first power-play unit. He will be an important piece of Utah’s inaugural season.
Related: Coyotes Core Playing Paramount Role in Rebuild
Dvorak was traded in the 2021 offseason when Arizona overhauled their roster in a complete rebuild. The former London Knights player of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) was traded on Sept. 1, 2021, to the Montreal Canadiens for a 2022 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick. The 6-foot-1, 193-pound forward played over 300 games for the Coyotes, scoring 146 points.
Hinostroza has spent time in the NHL and AHL since leaving Arizona after the 2019-20 NHL season. The Notre Dame product has played for the Blackhawks, Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, and Pittsburgh Penguins. In his 374-game career, he has 151 points.
After seven seasons in Arizona, Fischer played his first season with the Detroit Red Wings. In nearly 400 games played as a Coyote, he scored 111 points.
Mission Producing NHL Talent
Seven former Mission skaters made the opening-night roster this season. Those not mentioned here include Carolina Hurricanes forward Jack Drury and Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlassic. Hartman, Fischer, Dvorak, Schmaltz, and Nylander accounted for the other five players. In the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, four former Mission players were drafted. Among them was forward Gabriel Perreault who was drafted in the first round by the New York Rangers. The Mission continues to develop future professionals.
