Shulmistra played junior hockey for the Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League for their 1989-90 season before signing to play for the Miami RedHawks of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1992 NHL Supplemental Draft. Miami capped a historic year for the program in 1993 when the team received its first bid to the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. Miami was led by Brian Savage (2nd-Team All-American, 37 goals), defenseman Bobby Marshall (2nd-Team All American, 45 points) and Shulmistra with a 2.71 GAA. The team lost in the first round to Wisconsin 3–1 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Shulmistra turned pro after the 1993-94 Miami campaign in which he was named the Miami team MVP.
Shulmistra spent most of his professional career in the US minor leagues, starting with the Cornwall Aces, the American Hockey League affiliate of Quebec. He played one game for the New Jersey Devils on January 1, 1998, saving 28 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers. He next saw the NHL on December 27, 1999, saving 20 shots for Florida in a 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Shulmistra then went to Germany in 2001, playing for the Berlin Polar Bears and the Mannheim Eagles in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in his three seasons abroad. He retired after the 2003-04 season.
Shulmistra now lives in North Carolina and works as a goalie coach. He coached the bantam AAA Carolina Jr Hurricanes team for one season. He produced the video series "Winning Hockey Goaltending featuring Coach Richard Shulmistra."

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