Cory Schneider

Cory Franklin Schneider Schneider started training with his goalie coach, Brian Daccord, at age 15; Daccord now owns Stop It Goaltending, a company of which currently Schneider owns a small percentage. He began playing hockey around the age of six, trying out for the same team as his older brother, Geoff. He did not become a regular goaltender until the age of 11, as the Marblehead Youth Hockey teams he played with at earlier ages rotated the position.

Due to his father's ancestry, he holds both American and Swiss citizenship.

Playing career

High school and USNTDP (2000–2004) Schneider played with Marblehead High School in his freshman year before moving to Phillips Academy because of their more prestigious hockey team. In his senior year with the school, he was named the team captain. He appeared in 10 games with the under-18 club and two games in North American Hockey League play.

Going into the 2004 NHL entry draft, Schneider was the second-ranked American goaltender behind Al Montoya and seventh North American goaltender overall by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. He was selected in the first round, 26th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks on June 26, 2004.

Boston College (2004–2007) With the option of joining the major junior ranks in Canada or staying in the United States to play college hockey, Schneider prioritized getting an education and committed to the Boston College Eagles. The following month, he was sidelined for three weeks after tearing the medial collateral ligament of his left knee during a game against the Harvard Crimson on February 14, 2005. he appeared in 18 games with a 1.90 goals against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage while finishing with a record of 13 wins, 1 loss and 4 ties. He was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and received Boston College's Bernie Burke Outstanding Freshman Award. He made 39 saves in a double-overtime semifinal win against the Maine Black Bears, before a 26-save performance in Boston's 3–1 final win against the New Hampshire Wildcats.

In Schneider's sophomore season, he posted a college career-high .929 save percentage and two team records of eight shutouts and 1,088 saves. At the 2006 Beanpot, he received the Eberly Trophy as the tournament's best goaltender with a .924 save percentage.

In his third season with Boston College, Schneider recorded a college career-high 29 wins in 42 games, along with a 2.15 GAA and .925 save percentage. He led the Eagles to their second Lamoirello Trophy in three years, defeating New Hampshire by a 5–2 score in the final. Following his third college season, Schneider chose to forgo his senior year to turn professional. He left Boston College with a career record of 65 wins, 25 losses and 7 ties in 97 games, as well as a college career mark of 15 shutouts. He was regarded as the Canucks' third-string goalie behind Roberto Luongo and the newly acquired backup Curtis Sanford. Following his first NHL training camp, he was assigned to the Canucks' minor league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL). After a shaky start to the 2007–08 season (3–7–0 record, 3.69 GAA and .872 save percentage in 11 games), In recalling the meeting, Schneider has commented that "[Arniel] was one of the first guys to...tell me I wasn't good enough, something that I hadn't really heard a lot growing up. Sometimes it's something you need to hear." From that point on, he emerged as Manitoba's starting goalie over fellow Canucks prospect Drew MacIntyre, He was assigned to the Moose for a second consecutive season where he continued as the minor league team's starting goalie. He received his first NHL call-up from Manitoba on November 22, 2008, following an injury to Luongo. in addition to establishing a team record with 10 straight wins. After sitting on the bench as Sanford's backup for two games, Schneider made his first NHL appearance and start on November 29 against the Calgary Flames, making 28 saves in a 3–1 loss. He subsequently recorded his first NHL win in a 16-save, 2–1 victory against the Minnesota Wild on December 5. After appearing in eight games for the Canucks, goaltender Jason LaBarbera was acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings and Schneider was sent back to the Moose on January 5, 2009. During his time in Vancouver, Schneider had been named AHL Goalie of the Month for November. He was also chosen as the starting goalie for PlanetUSA for the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic. He was named Top Goaltender in the Skills Competition, then helped PlanetUSA to a 15–11 win over the Canadian All-Stars. Near the end of the season, he was chosen as AHL Player of the Week on March 30, 2009, after allowing five goals in three starts. He completed the campaign with team records of 28 wins, 2.04 GAA and .928 save percentage. Additionally the league-leader in GAA and save percentage, Schneider was awarded the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as AHL goaltender of the year. He also received the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award as the goaltender on the team with the lowest goals against. His award-winning campaign helped the Moose to the best regular season record in the league. He finished the playoffs with a 2.15 GAA and .922 save percentage in 22 games.

In September 2009, Vancouver re-signed Luongo to a 12-year extension. As such, it was widely speculated that Schneider would inevitably be traded. Less than a month into the season, Schneider received his second NHL call-up with the Canucks to back up Raycroft after Luongo was sidelined with a rib fracture on October 28, 2009. He remained with the Canucks for nearly two weeks, earning one start against the Dallas Stars on November 6, stopping 45 shots in a 2–1 loss. Despite being the reigning goaltender of the year in the AHL and having a comparable season in 2009–10, Schneider was not named to PlanetUSA for the 2010 AHL All-Star Game. The non-selection drew public criticism from Moose head coach Arniel. Amidst a mediocre season as a team, Schneider posted a 2.51 GAA and .919 save percentage and topped his previous team record of wins in a season with 35 in 60 games. During the campaign, he also surpassed Alex Auld on the franchise's all-time wins and games played list, finishing with 84 and 136, respectively. He made his first start of the 2010–11 season on October 18, 2010, against the Carolina Hurricanes. He stopped 32 shots in a 5–1 win, marking his first NHL victory since December 14, 2008. Nearing the end of the regular season, the Canucks were leading the league in team GAA, putting Luongo and Schneider in contention for the William M. Jennings Trophy. However, with a week remaining in the regular season, Schneider was two appearances short of the 25-game minimum to qualify for the Jennings (had he not reached the requirement, Luongo would have been awarded the trophy by himself). While head coach Alain Vigneault initially dismissed the notion of playing Schneider for the sole purpose of sharing the award with Luongo, he sent Schneider in relief of Luongo with 28 seconds remaining in the third-last game of the season, a 2–0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers for Schneider's 24th appearance. Two games later – the Canucks' last contest of the regular season – Schneider was given the start against the Calgary Flames. Needing to allow seven goals or fewer to secure the Jennings, he helped Vancouver to a 3–2 overtime win. It marked the first time in the trophy's history that it was awarded to Canucks goaltenders. Schneider completed his NHL rookie season with a 2.23 GAA and .929 save percentage in 25 games (22 starts), as well as a 16-4-2 record. His GAA tied for fourth in the league, while his save percentage ranked third and set a single-season Canucks record. Schneider made his NHL playoff debut in Game 4 of the opening round against the Chicago Blackhawks. With the Canucks down 6–1, Luongo was pulled in favour of Schneider in the third period. Schneider allowed one goal on seven shots, as the Blackhawks went on to win the game 7–2. After Luongo was pulled again in Game 5, Schneider was chosen to start for Game 6. Schneider allowed three goals on 20 shots; he left the game in the third period after suffering cramps during a failed attempt to stop a penalty shot from Blackhawks' forward Michael Frolík. The Canucks went on to lose the contest 4–3 in overtime, but won the following Game 7 with Luongo in net to advance to the second round. The Canucks would advance to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins. Schneider made an appearance in Game 4 stopping all shots he faced as the team would lose the game 4–0. He also appeared in Game 6, replacing Luongo in the first period after he gave up three goals on eight shots. Schneider allowed two goals in relief for the remainder of the game as the Canucks went on to lose the contest 5–2 to force a Game 7. With Schneider on the bench, Vancouver then lost Game 7 at home 4–0 for a 4–3 loss in the series, surrendering a 3–2 series lead in the process.

Remaining as Luongo's backup for the start of the 2011–12 season, Schneider's playing time was expanded when Luongo suffered an injury in mid-November 2011. Despite Luongo's return to the lineup after missing two games, Schneider continued to earn starts due to his stellar performance. On November 28, he was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week after recording three wins in as many contests, a span that included back-to-back shutouts (on November 23 against the Colorado Avalanche and November 25 against the Phoenix Coyotes). Schneider finished his second full NHL season with improved numbers. Of the 33 games he played, he started 28 and compiled 20 wins and nine losses. His 1.96 GAA and .937 save percentage over 33 games ranked third and second in the NHL, respectively, while also setting Canucks team records. His GAA topped the 2.11 mark Luongo had set in 2010–11, while his save percentage bettered the .929 he had achieved, also in the previous season. The latter team record also ranked as the fourth-best ever recorded in the NHL. During the 2012 playoffs, Schneider supplanted Luongo as the team's playoff goalie. After Vancouver lost their first two games against the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings 4–2 in the opening round, Vigneault started Schneider. Despite losing game three 1–0 for a 3–0 series deficit, Schneider started for the remainder of the series, which Los Angeles won four-games-to-one. In the three games he played, he recorded a 1.31 GAA and .960 save percentage. Vigneault's decision led many in the media to believe that Schneider would retain the role the following season, while Luongo would be traded. Although Luongo's contract included a no-trade clause, he told reporters following the Canucks' defeat to the Kings that he would waive it if the team asked him to. During the off season, Schneider and the Canucks agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract.

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Schneider played with Swiss team HC Ambrì-Piotta of National League A. He played in eight games and recorded a .914 save percentage. Returning to Vancouver as NHL play resumed, Schneider appeared in 30 games for the Canucks and posted a 17–9–4 record and was one of five goaltenders to tie for the NHL lead with five shutouts. He appeared in two playoff games, both losses, as the Canucks were swept out of the first round by the San Jose Sharks.

New Jersey Devils (2013–2020) The Canucks spent a full year attempting to trade Luongo and his contract before conceding no team was willing to meet their demands. Instead, they agreed to trade Schneider to the New Jersey Devils. The deal, completed on June 30, 2013 at the 2013 NHL entry draft, saw the ninth overall selection, which was used to select future Canucks' captain Bo Horvat, sent to Vancouver. Schneider described the trade as "shocking", adding that after several seasons of expecting to be traded, he had finally begun to believe he would stay in Vancouver. He played his first game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 3–0 loss. Schneider split goaltending duties with veteran Martin Brodeur during the 2013–14 season, with Schneider earning extra starts due to his performance.

On July 9, 2014, Schneider signed a seven-year, $42 million contract extension with the Devils. Brodeur opted not to re-sign with New Jersey, leaving Schneider as the Devils' starting goaltender. In 2014–15, Schneider posted a .925 save percentage (the sixth best in the NHL) and a 2.26 GAA. Despite Schneider's success, the Devils missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The team won only one of their final 11 games of the season.

Schneider continued to put up elite numbers for the Devils in the 2015–16 season, including a 2.15 GAA and a .924 save percentage. The Devils missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

The Devils' fortunes finally started to turn around in the 2017–18 season, with the team putting up their best start in franchise history, going 9–2–0 in their first 11 games. They also successfully returned to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Despite performing well in the first half, a groin injury during a game on January 23 sidelined Schneider, backup Keith Kinkaid played well down the stretch and as Schneider struggled to regain his form, Kinkaid was in goal when the Devils 2018 playoff campaign began against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, after Kinkaid posted a 5.87 GAA and a save percentage of .804, Schneider replaced Kinkaid late into Game 2 He returned to the Devils lineup on October 29, 2018. The 2018–19 season was eventful as Schneider registered his first win since December 27, 2017.

On November 18, 2019, as a result of Schneider's struggling performance in the season, he was placed on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to New Jersey's AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils. He cleared waivers the next day and was assigned to the Binghamton Devils. On October 8, 2020, after seven seasons with the Devils organization it was announced that Schneider was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out the remaining two years of his contract with the club.

New York Islanders (2021–2023) On January 14, 2021, Schneider was signed to a reported one-year, $700,000 contract with the New York Islanders. On September 21, 2021, Schneider was re-signed by the Islanders. On September 21, 2022, he was re-signed to a one-year contract by the Islanders.

Schneider announced his retirement on September 26, 2023, after spending the 2022–23 season with New York's AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders.

International play

Schneider competed for the United States at the 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup, held in Břeclav, Czech Republic, and Piešťany, Slovakia. He helped the club go undefeated in five games, en route to the country's first gold medal in the history of the tournament. Sharing goaltending duties with Ian Keserich over the course of the tournament, Schneider was given the start for the gold medal game against Russia, turning aside 32 shots for the 3–2 win. The United States were defeated in the gold medal game by Russia 3–2. He was later named the David Peterson Goalie of the Year by USA Hockey, having led them to two medals in the 2003–04 season.

In August 2004, Schneider participated in the U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After losing to Russia 7–2 in the semifinal, the United States lost the bronze medal game 3–2 to the Czech Republic in overtime.

After attending the U.S.'s summer evaluation camp for a second straight year in Lake Placid, New York, a 2–2 tie against Switzerland; Schneider made 22 saves. He earned his second player of the game selection in the quarterfinal, stopping 30 shots in a 2–1 win against the Czech Republic. The United States were then eliminated in the semifinal by Russia before losing the bronze medal game to Finland. He appeared in six games total with a 2.67 GAA and .912 save percentage, fifth among tournament goaltenders.

Schneider's first experience with the men's senior team came in 2007 when he was among the first eighteen players named to the United States' team for the 2007 IIHF World Championship in Russia. Despite being named to the team, Schneider did not play in any games, instead serving as the team's third goaltender behind John Grahame and Jason Bacashihua.

On April 19, 2019, Schneider was selected to represent Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia.

Playing style Schneider plays in the butterfly style of goaltending, dropping to his knees with his skates pointing outwards and his pads meeting in the middle in order to cover the bottom portion of the net. He honed the style with goaltending consultant Brian Daccord, beginning at the age of 15. Schneider's strengths are his size and athleticism.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 2002–03 Phillips Academy NEPSAC 23 13 7 2 — 1,385 39 3 1.69 .951 — — — — — — — — 2003–04 Phillips Academy NEPSAC 24 17 5 2 — 1,336 32 6 1.42 .956 — — — — — — — — 2003–04 U.S. NTDP U-18 10 9 1 0 — 559 15 1 1.61 — — — — — — — — — 2003–04 U.S. NTDP NAHL 2 2 0 0 — 120 6 0 3.00 — — — — — — — — — 2004–05 Boston College HE 18 13 1 4 — 1,102 35 1 1.90 .916 — — — — — — — — 2005–06 Boston College HE 39 24 13 2 — 2,361 83 8 2.11 .929 — — — — — — — — 2006–07 Boston College HE 42 29 12 1 — 2,516 90 6 2.15 .925 — — — — — — — — 2007–08 Manitoba Moose AHL 36 21 12 — 2 2,054 78 3 2.28 .916 6 1 4 375 12 0 1.92 .938 2008–09 Manitoba Moose AHL 40 28 10 — 1 2,324 79 5 2.04 .928 22 14 7 1315 47 0 2.15 .922 2008–09 Vancouver Canucks NHL 8 2 4 — 1 355 20 0 3.38 .877 — — — — — — — — 2009–10 Manitoba Moose AHL 60 35 23 — 2 3,557 149 4 2.51 .919 6 2 4 366 19 0 3.12 .905 2009–10 Vancouver Canucks NHL 2 0 1 — 0 79 5 0 3.80 .915 — — — — — — — — 2010–11 Vancouver Canucks NHL 25 16 4 — 2 1,372 51 1 2.23 .929 5 0 0 163 7 0 2.58 .915 2011–12 Vancouver Canucks NHL 33 20 8 — 1 1,833 60 3 1.96 .937 3 1 2 183 4 0 1.31 .960 2012–13 Ambrì-Piotta NLA 8 4 4 — 0 485 26 0 3.22 .913 — — — — — — — — 2012–13 Vancouver Canucks NHL 30 17 9 — 4 1,733 61 5 2.11 .927 2 0 2 117 9 0 4.62 .880 2013–14 New Jersey Devils NHL 46 16 15 — 12 2,680 88 3 1.97 .921 — — — — — — — — 2014–15 New Jersey Devils NHL 69 26 31 — 9 3,924 148 5 2.26 .925 — — — — — — — — 2015–16 New Jersey Devils NHL 58 27 25 — 6 3,413 122 4 2.15 .924 — — — — — — — — 2016–17 New Jersey Devils NHL 60 20 27 — 11 3,473 163 2 2.82 .908 — — — — — — — — 2017–18 New Jersey Devils NHL 40 17 16 — 6 2,333 114 1 2.93 .907 4 1 2 202 6 0 1.78 .950 2017–18 Binghamton Devils AHL 1 1 0 — 0 60 1 0 1.00 .950 — — — — — — — — 2018–19 New Jersey Devils NHL 26 6 13 — 4 1,372 70 1 3.06 .903 — — — — — — — — 2018–19 Binghamton Devils AHL 8 2 4 — 2 482 26 0 3.24 .881 — — — — — — — — 2019–20 New Jersey Devils NHL 13 3 6 — 2 680 40 1 3.53 .887 — — — — — — — — 2019–20 Binghamton Devils AHL 14 7 7 — 0 818 37 0 2.71 .903 — — — — — — — — 2020–21 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 2 0 1 — 1 122 8 0 3.94 .843 — — — — — — — — 2021–22 Bridgeport Islanders AHL 30 14 11 — 4 1,725 78 1 2.71 .921 6 3 2 332 13 0 2.35 .927 2021–22 New York Islanders NHL 1 1 0 — 0 60 3 0 3.00 .900 — — — — — — — — 2022–23 Bridgeport Islanders AHL 33 19 11 — 3 1919 94 1 2.94 .913 — — — — — — — — NHL totals 410 171 159 — 58 23,305 945 26 2.43 .918 14 2 6 665 26 0 2.35 .931

International Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% 2003 United States IH18 — — — — — — — — — 2004 United States U18 6 5 1 0 350 10 0 1.71 .929 2005 United States WJC 1 0 1 0 22 3 0 7.94 .625 2006 United States WJC 6 2 3 1 359 16 0 2.67 .912 2016 United States WCH 1 0 0 0 18 0 0 0.00 1.000 2019 United States WC 6 3 3 0 362 15 0 2.49 .920 Junior totals 13 7 5 1 731 29 0 2.37 .912 Senior totals 7 3 3 0 380 15 0 2.36 .926

Awards and achievements

High school Award Year

Career games played: 136 (2007–2010)