Cory Schneider

Lore & Background

Schneider played three seasons of college hockey at Boston College, winning two Lamoriello Trophies as Hockey East champions and making two NCAA Final appearances. He turned professional with Vancouver's AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, in 2007 and was named the league's Goaltender of the Year following his second season. After three seasons with the Moose, he became the Canucks' full-time backup in 2010–11 and won the William M. Jennings Trophy with Roberto Luongo. The following season, he set Canucks records for best goals against average (1.96) and save percentage (.937) in a single season.

At the 2013 NHL entry draft, Schneider was traded to the New Jersey Devils. With the exception of the 2017–18 season, the Devils were never a successful team during his seven-year tenure, despite several strong seasons from Schneider. When the Devils qualified for the playoffs in 2017–18, his performance had already begun to dramatically decline. The team bought out the remainder of his contract in 2020.

Internationally, Schneider represented the United States at various junior levels, winning gold and silver medals at the 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup and 2004 IIHF World U18 Championships, respectively. He later competed in the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Championships, finishing in fourth each time. Due to his Swiss ancestry, he also holds Swiss citizenship.

College Years at Boston College

Schneider chose the academic path over Canadian major junior hockey, committing to Boston College where he majored in finance at the Carroll School of Management. His decision reflected a clear priority on education, though he had also considered Harvard and Cornell. His freshman season in 2004-05 was marked by both promise and adversity.

He made 23 saves in his debut against UMass Lowell, earned Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honors, and recorded his first shutout against Yale. However, a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, suffered against Harvard in February 2005, sidelined him for three weeks. Despite the injury, he posted a 1.90 GAA and .916 save percentage across 18 games, earning All-Rookie Team honors and the Bernie Burke Outstanding Freshman Award.

By the postseason, head coach Jerry York elevated him to starting goaltender, and Schneider helped backstop the Eagles to a record-setting sixth Lamoriello Trophy as Hockey East champions. Over his three-year tenure, he won two Lamoriello Trophies and appeared in two NCAA Finals. Academically, he was named to two Hockey East All-Academic Teams and received the Paul Patrick Daley Student-Athlete Scholarship in 2006.

NHL Career Arc and Franchise Records

Drafted 26th overall by Vancouver in 2004, Schneider turned pro in 2007 with the Manitoba Moose, Vancouver's AHL affiliate. He was named the league's Goaltender of the Year following his second season before spending a third year with the Moose. In 2010-11, he became the Canucks' full-time backup, and that first full NHL season brought the William M. Jennings Trophy, shared with Roberto Luongo, for posting the league's best team goals-against average.

The following year, he etched his name into Canucks franchise history, setting single-season records for both goals-against average at 1.96 and save percentage at .937. His peak performance, however, would not translate into sustained team success. At the 2013 draft, Vancouver traded him to New Jersey for the ninth overall pick.

Over seven seasons with the Devils, Schneider delivered multiple strong individual campaigns, yet the franchise remained largely uncompetitive. The 2017-18 playoff run arrived too late, as his play had already begun a noticeable decline. New Jersey ultimately bought out the remainder of his contract in 2020, ending a chapter that paired elite goaltending with organizational inconsistency.

Roots in Marblehead and Early Development

Born in 1986 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb, Schneider first touched a hockey stick around age six, trying out alongside his older brother Geoff. The youth teams he played for rotated the goaltending position, so he did not settle into the crease consistently until he was eleven. Formal goalie training began at fifteen under coach Brian Daccord, who now runs Stop It Goaltending, a company in which Schneider holds a small ownership stake. Growing up, he idolized New York Rangers legend Mike Richter as a model of what an American goaltender could achieve, a connection he honored by wearing number 35 throughout his career.

He attended Marblehead High School before transferring to Phillips Academy in Andover, where he played varsity baseball for two years alongside his hockey. As a senior, he captained the Phillips Academy squad to a 17-and-4 record with a .960 save percentage, earned two All-New England selections, and collected both the school's Yale Bowl and the Boston Bruins' John Carlton Memorial Trophy for combining scholarship and athletics. In 2008, he was inducted into the Friends of Marblehead Hockey Hall of Fame, becoming the only born-and-raised native from the town ever drafted into the NHL.

International Competitions and Dual Heritage

Before his NHL career took shape, Schneider represented the United States across several junior international tournaments. At the 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup, he helped the American squad capture the gold medal, followed by a silver at the 2004 IIHF World U18 Championships. He then suited up for the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Championships, where the United States finished in fourth place on both occasions. These early international stints gave him a platform to compete against the top young talent from around the globe during a formative period of his development.

Beyond his hockey identity, Schneider carries a distinctive dual heritage. Through his father's lineage, he holds Swiss citizenship in addition to his American nationality, a fact that adds a transatlantic dimension to his background. This Swiss ancestry sets him apart from many of his North American peers and reflects the multicultural fabric woven through the sport at every level.

Reader's Guide

Cory Schneider's tenure with the New Jersey Devils is defined by a stark contrast between his individual performance and the team's fortunes. Acquired at the 2013 draft for a high first-round pick, Schneider was expected to be the franchise goaltender for years to come. For most of his seven seasons with the Devils, he posted strong numbers despite the team rarely being competitive, with the 2017–18 season being the only playoff appearance during his time there.

However, by the time the Devils qualified for the postseason, Schneider's performance had already begun a dramatic decline. The team bought out the remainder of his contract in 2020, ending his tenure in New Jersey. His legacy with the Devils is thus one of unfulfilled promise: a goaltender who delivered excellent play on struggling teams but whose own sharp downturn coincided with the team's brief return to relevance.