Let me take you back to 2004. “Yeah!” by Usher was the number one song in the country and Ryan Gosling introduced the world to Noah Calhoun, and the bar for all men was officially raised. On a warm day in July, down in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Vancouver Canucks took to the stage of the NHL Draft. They selected American goaltender Cory Schneider with their 26th overall pick.
Cory Schneider was born and raised in a suburb outside of Boston, Massachusetts. He didn’t go far when it was time for college, attending Boston College where he majored in finance. Before selecting Boston College he contemplated Harvard and Cornell. He stated in many interviews that his education was important to him.
In the summer of 2007, Schneider inked an entry-level contract with the Canucks. However, he did not make his NHL debut until November 29, 2008, which resulted in a loss. His first NHL win came a few days later against the Minnesota Wild. For his first three seasons, he split his time playing in the NHL and AHL. It wasn’t until 2010 when the NHL began to notice the young back up goaltender.
Schneider established himself as Roberto Luongo’s back up and made the most of his time on the ice. His rookie season ended with a 16-4-2 record. His talent and potential kept shining through and his head coach, Alain Vigneault, began to start Schneider over Luongo. This led to rumors that the long time number one Canucks goaltender would be traded. Due to Luongo’s massive and expensive contract, it proved difficult for Vancouver to move him.
Fast forward to the 2013 NHL Draft it was announced (in New Jersey) that the Devils traded their 9th overall pick to Vancouver in exchange for the promising 27-year-old goaltender. Schneider joined Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur. They split playing time until 2014 when Brodeur left New Jersey, leaving Schneider as the definite number one.
Now, while Schneider was in his prime (and a top 10 goalie in the league) the New Jersey Devils as a whole were in a bit of a transition. The roster had aging proven veterans along with younger players that on any other team would most likely be playing in the AHL. For the next few seasons, the Devils management continued to find an identity all while Schneider was aging in goal. In the 2015-2016 season Schneider finished sixth in the Vezina Trophy voting, which is even more impressive when you look back at the defense that was in front of him.
In early 2018 Schneider suffered a groin injury. Even though he returned to the ice he was not the player of previous seasons. During the summer of 2018 he had hip surgery to repair torn cartilage and it’s been an unfortunate turn of events ever since. This past November the New Jersey Devils announced they placed Schneider on waivers and assigned him to the AHL. Schneider is now back to where he began his career except now he is in his early thirties and making six million dollars a season.
As a Devils fan, you cannot help but feel sorry for him and his journey in the NHL. He was traded to a floundering team that did not have the talent to support his best years in the net. Unfortunately, his injury from 2018 proved to have some long-lasting effects. He handled his reassignment to the AHL with the utmost class. It’s hard to not root for Schneider to have some kind of comeback, even if it’s brief.
Every hockey player has a story on how they became a starter in the NHL. Some are impressive tales of success and victory like Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews. Others are a bit of a rollercoaster with surprise twists and downward falls. Cory Schneider lies somewhere in the middle. We can’t forget that while on the Vancouver Canucks he reached the Stanley Cup Final and made two relief appearances. I’m hoping that he can come back as a reliable goaltender for the rest of playing career. Only time will tell, especially when MacKenzie Blackwood has earned the starting role on the New Jersey Devils.
If there is one thing I can look forward to it is hopefully walking into Barnes and Noble, sashaying to the sports section and pick up Cory Schneider’s memoir. This man has a story to tell from a perspective that none of us can even begin to understand.
