Ex-Canucks goaltender Cory Schneider retires, calls Vancouver the “high point” of his career

Cory Schneider is hanging up his pads. After 16 seasons of professional hockey — 13 of which he appeared in NHL games — the 37-year-old Marblehead, Massachusetts native is calling it a career.

“I’m at peace with it,” Schneider told Phil Stacey of The Salem News. “I’ll miss my teammates and the intensity of playing, but it’s the right time for me. If you had told me as a Marblehead High freshman that I’d play 16 years of professional hockey, I would’ve laughed in your face.”

Schneider retires with a career save percentage of .918 through 410 NHL games with the Canucks, New Jersey Devils, and New York Islanders. Schneider posted a .921 and .913 save percentage in the AHL over the past two seasons, respectively, but with Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlarmov crowding the Islanders’ goal crease at the NHL level, Schneider hasn’t appeared in an NHL game since the 2021-22 season, when he suited up for one game with the Islanders.

“Vancouver was the high point for me,” Schneider said looking back on his career. “They drafted me (in the first round of the 2004 NHL Draft) and the organization had great people, I had great teammates, and we came within one game of brining the city its first Stanley Cup.”

“I’ve followed the same hockey player’s schedule and grind for 16 years,” he added. “I’ve been very blessed to play this long, met some friends I’ll have for life — guys like Alex Edler, Chris Higgins, Andy Greene, Brian Boyle, Kyle Palmieri, Adam Henrique — and I’ve been fortunate to make some money while playing. I’ve had a lot of great memories in my career, that’s for sure.”

The Cory Schneider trade tree is alive and well and doesn’t look like it will see it’s final branch anytime soon. The Canucks traded Schneider to the Devils to acquire the ninth overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, which they then used to draft Bo Horvat. The Canucks traded Horvat to the New York Islanders for Aatu Räty and Anthony Beauvillier along with a first round pick in the 2023 draft, which they then flipped to Detroit for defenceman Filip Hronek.

All the best to Cory Schneider in retirement!