SPORTS
Part Of A Legacy
Canadien Mathieu Schneider's star rises.
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Special to The Jewish News
A
t the start of this
NHL season, the
league's 75th,
the six oldest
teams wore
replicas of their original
jerseys, to remind fans of the
teams' heritage. In Montreal,
however, fans scarcely need
such reminders, as no NHL
jersey carries with it as much
history as the red, white and
blue of Club de Hockey Cana-
dien — the Montreal
Canadiens.
At 22, Montreal defense-
man Mathieu Schneider is
aware of that legacy, although
he only remembers the most
recent of Montreal's glories.
"It is a lot of tradition and
history," says Schneider, "It's
just a great thrill to play in
the Forum."
Schneider, one of the NHL's
three Jewish regulars, is in
his third full season of pro
hockey. Despite his team's
long history, he doesn't play
an old-fashioned game.
Rather, he is a prototypical
defenseman of the '90s — a
strong skater who is capable
of breaking up an opponent's
rush and igniting his own
team's offense.
Schneider always had speed
but recently has added
strength. He is listed at
5-feet-11 and 189 pounds. An
accurate passer, Schneider
also possesses a strong left-
handed slap shot. He sees
regular power play duty — he
scored five of his ten goals
while playing with the extra
man last year — but is also
strong enough defensively to
receive regular penalty-
killing action as well.
Like most NHL players,
Schneider began playing
hockey at a young age. Born
in New York City and raised
in New Jersey, Schneider
played youth hockey in the
New York-New Jersey area.
At 12, he enrolled at Mt. St.
Charles Academy in Rhode
Island, a hockey powerhouse
in the New England prep
hockey scene.
54
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1991
After graduating, Schnei-
der continued along a stan-
dard track to the NHL by
moving to Ontario to play
with the Cornwall Royals of
the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL). After one season with
Cornwall, Montreal made
Schneider its fourth choice,
44th overall, in the 1987 En-
try Draft.
When Canadiens defense-
man Larry Robinson broke
his leg before the 1987-88
season, Schneider stayed with
Montreal and played in four
games before being returned
to his junior team.
Schneider, one of
the NHL's three
Jewish regulars, is
in his third full
season.
Schneider blossomed as an
offensive force in his last two
years in the OHL, with 21
goals and 40 assists for 61
points in 1987-88 and 16
goals plus 57 assists for 73
points the following year. He
was named to the OHEs first
All-Star team after the
1987-88 season.
In 1989, with his junior
hockey eligibility gone,
Schneider expected to begin
the season with Montreal.
This time, however, Mon-
treal's history didn't work in
his favor, for the Canadiens
traditionally season their
young players in the minors.
So Schneider was sent to
Montreal's Sherbrooke farm
club in the American Hockey
League, one step below the
big time.
But after 28 games with
Sherbrooke, Schneider was
called up to Montreal and
played in 44 games, netting
seven goals and adding 14
assists in the regular season.
He added a goal and three
assists in nine playoff
contests.
Going to the minors at the
beginning of the season
taught Schneider a valuable
lesson about life in pro sports.
"At any time, at any point,
during the season, there's ups
and downs. You just have to
Schneider waits
for action to
resume.