SCHNEIDER, MATHIEU

SCHNEIDER, MATHIEU (1969– ), U.S. hockey player, two-time NHL All-Star, U.S. Olympic team and Team U.S.A. member. Born in Manhattan and raised in New Jersey, Schneider was introduced to hockey at a young age by his father, who was an amateur hockey player and coach. A talented defender with solid offensive skills, Schneider was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens out of high school in the third round of the 1987 draft. After two seasons training in the Ontario Hockey League and being named an OHL First Team All-Star in both 1988 and 1989, Schneider was ready for service in the NHL, quickly becoming one of the Canadiens' top-scoring defensemen and a key component of their 1993 Stanley Cup team. Over the course of his 18-year career with six different teams through 2006, Schneider proved to be one of the most durable hockey players, and is only the eleventh American-born defenseman in NHL history to play in over 1,000 games. On November 26, 2005, Schneider registered a hat trick, becoming the first Detroit defenseman to accomplish the feat in 20 years. His skills on the ice have earned him a number of honors, including being named an All-Star in 1996 and 2003, a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1998 and 2006, a member of Team U.S.A. in 1996 and 2004, and an alternate captain of the N.Y. Islanders in 1996 and the L.A. Kings in 2001–3. (Robert B. Klein (2nd ed.)