Corey Schneider on his time with the NY Islanders
His time on Long Island may have been short, but Corey Schneider was the consummate professional during his time with the NY Islanders. Signed before the 2021-22 season with a shortened schedule, Schneider was brought on as the Isles' third goaltender with the 'taxi squad.'
Acquired by Lou Lamoriello in 2013 during his tenure with the NJ Devils, Schneider was incredibly familiar with the now Islanders General Manager and accustomed to what some may consider out-of-date, old-school stylings. But for Schneider, he knew Lamoriello would return the same respect he was shown.
"All he wants for you, you know, is to work hard, represent the jersey the right way, be on time, and don't do anything stupid," Schneider told the Talkin' Isles podcast. "As long as you do those things he'll work with you.
Having a history with Lamoriello is part of why he decided to join the Islanders when other teams were pursuing the free-agent netminder. Upon arriving on Long Island, Schneider quickly became familiar with the locker room culture and the relationships between the players.
"When I got there, I couldn't believe how tightly knit the group was, how close it was," said Schneider. "You know, we'd gone through a couple years in New Jersey of rebuilding, starting over, (a) lot of young guys, and we were sort of the older guard. So to step into a locker room where there were a lot of veteran guys, it was refreshing.
During his three years with the Islanders organization, Schneider saw just one game in the NHL. As the Isles were all but eliminated from postseason contention, Schneider was called into action against his former team as the Isles visited the Prudential Center and the Devils. With his family, the organization, and his teammates all backing him, Schneider put on a memorable performance in what would be the final of his career.
"It was special," Schneider said. "It was almost as nerve-racking as one of my first NHL games because it had been almost two-plus years since I had played in the league. So you know, being in that building again, on the other side.... definitely a lot of emotions."
Now officially retired, Schneider goes down as recording only one victory for the Isles as they went on to win that night 4-3. His time was short-lived on Long Island but was for sure appreciated.