Cory Schneider moves the puck from the net to broadcasting
Cory Schneider of the Islanders looks on during the third period against the Blue Jackets at UBS Arena on March 31, 2022. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Cory Schneider considered continuing his playing career in Switzerland; he holds dual U.S.-Swiss citizenship and had played in that country in 2012-13 during the last NHL owners’ lockout.
In the end, though, the 37-year-old goalie, who spent the previous three seasons in the Islanders’ organization, realized he had pushed his body as far as he could.
But the chatty Schneider still has the hockey bug. So for now, he’ll stay involved in the NHL as a broadcaster, both with the NHL Network and MSG Networks as a pregame and intermission analyst.
He worked his first game on Saturday night subbing for Thomas Hickey as the Islanders beat the Blue Jackets, 2-0, in Columbus, Ohio. His next game will be Wednesday night as the Islanders visit the Capitals.
“Ultimately, I just decided that it was not something I wanted to do,” Schneider said of heading to Europe to continue playing. “I didn’t talk to my family. They were up for it, but it would have been a big endeavor at this point of our lives. Physically, I didn’t know if I wanted to put myself through that grind, even in Switzerland.”
Schneider worked in a tandem with Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo with the Canucks and then succeeded Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur as the Devils' No. 1 goalie before a succession of groin and hip injuries that began in 2017-18 eventually derailed his NHL career.
“We all felt terrible for him,” said Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson, a Devils teammate from 2014-20. “It just seemed like he could never get his footing back.
“He worked as hard as you could ever see trying to get back, trying to get healthy again. For a few years there, he was fantastic. And then you just felt so bad for him. It just seemed that everything that could go wrong did go wrong.”
Schneider finished his NHL career with a 171-159-58 record, a 2.43 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.
He spent the past three seasons with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, hoping to earn one more shot on an NHL roster. He played one game for the Islanders, making 27 saves in a 4-3 win over the Devils at Prudential Center on April 3, 2022, as he subbed for an injured Ilya Sorokin.
Schneider, though, doesn’t view his three seasons in the Islanders' organization as a failure to make it back to the NHL. Instead, his efforts have left him at peace with his decision to stop playing.
“I pushed it as far as I could,” he said. “The last few years were great for me just to play the game, even at the American League level. Getting some call-ups with the Isles and getting that one game in two years ago was a great experience. I proved that I could still play at a good level.
“From a hockey standpoint, it was time. I wasn’t ready to continue chasing it just to satisfy my own needs or desires.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
