Robert Schnabel

Robert Schnabel (born November 10, 1978) is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played 22 games in the National Hockey League with the Nashville Predators between 2002 and 2004. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1996 to 2014, was mainly spent in various European leagues.

Playing career Schnabel was drafted by the New York Islanders in round 3, #79 overall, of the 1997 NHL entry draft and again by the Phoenix Coyotes in round 5, #129 overall, in the 1998 NHL entry draft.

He was a product of HC Slavia Praha in the Czech league. After several seasons in North America, including 22 National Hockey League games for the Nashville Predators, Schnabel returned to Europe to represent first his hometown team in Prague and then HIFK in the Finnish SM-liiga. In January 2007, Schnabel's contract with HIFK was terminated upon the arrival of Billy Tibbetts, as the SM-liiga only allowed a team to dress four foreign-born players per game, and Tibbets was HIFK's fifth foreign player. Schnabel was subsequently signed by Jokerit of the same league. He played for BK Mladá Boleslav on loan from HC Kladno.

During his two seasons at the Manchester Phoenix, Schnabel won an EPIHL League Championship winners medal as well as both winners and runners-up medals in the Playoffs. In 2013–14, he was named to the EPIHL's First All Star Team by Ice Hockey Journalists.

His retirement from hockey was announced via the Manchester Phoenix on 7 April 2014, the day after Phoenix lost 5–3 in the EPIHL Playoff Final to Basingstoke Bison at the Skydome Arena in Coventry.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1994–95 HC Slavia Praha U20 CZE U20 35 11 6 17 14 — — — — — 1995–96 HC Slavia Praha U20 CZE U20 38 3 5 8 — — — — — — 1996–97 HC Slavia Praha U20 CZE U20 36 5 2 7 — — — — — — 1996–97 HC Slavia Praha CZE 4 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 1997–98 Red Deer Rebels WHL 61 1 22 23 143 5 0 0 0 16 1998–99 Springfield Falcons AHL 77 1 7 8 155 3 1 0 1 4 1998–99 Red Deer Rebels WHL 1 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1999–00 Springfield Falcons AHL 40 2 8 10 133 5 0 0 0 14 2000–01 Springfield Falcons AHL 22 1 2 3 38 — — — — — 2000–01 Timrå IK SWE 16 0 2 2 72 — — — — — 2001–02 Nashville Predators NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2001–02 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 67 2 7 9 130 — — — — — 2002–03 Nashville Predators NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2002–03 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 62 3 6 9 178 6 0 0 0 0 2003–04 Nashville Predators NHL 20 0 3 3 34 — — — — — 2003–04 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 11 1 0 1 27 — — — — — 2004–05 HC Sparta Praha CZE 47 1 4 5 85 4 0 0 0 12 2005–06 HIFK FIN 51 3 11 14 165 11 0 0 0 63 2006–07 HIFK FIN 32 1 3 4 120 — — — — — 2006–07 Jokerit FIN 12 0 2 2 16 9 0 0 0 20 2007–08 HC Kladno CZE 34 0 1 1 133 — — — — — 2007–08 BK Mladá Boleslav CZE-2 3 0 0 0 2 15 1 3 4 74 2008–09 BK Mladá Boleslav CZE 45 1 4 5 75 — — — — — 2008–09 HC Benátky nad Jizerou CZE-2 3 0 1 1 6 — — — — — 2009–10 HK 36 Skalica SVK 41 0 4 4 77 6 1 1 2 2 2010–11 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK 26 1 4 5 43 — — — — — 2010–11 KLH Chomutov CZE-2 5 0 0 0 8 10 0 0 0 8 2011–12 HC Plzeň 1929 CZE 9 0 1 1 31 — — — — — 2011–12 HC Fassa ITA 26 5 10 15 83 4 0 1 1 10 2012–13 Manchester Phoenix EPIHL 45 8 18 26 126 4 2 2 4 8 2013–14 Manchester Phoenix EPIHL 53 11 32 43 170 4 0 1 1 2 CZE totals 139 2 10 12 328 11 0 0 0 18 NHL totals 22 0 3 3 34 — — — — —

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1998 Czech Republic WJC 7 0 0 0 2 Junior totals 7 0 0 0 2