2 replies to this topic

[DuckNewbie]

In case anyone is still worried about him going to Atlanta:

The excitement in Sam Schneider's voice was touching. After witnessing Mathieu make it to the NHL and become a Stanley Cup-winner with the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, perform for four Original Six franchises -- including the Rangers in New York where he was born -- play in two All-Star Games and represent the USA at the Olympics in 1998 and 2006, Sam is still a hockey dad.

And, in this case, one of his sons was moving to a market where his other son, JA, already resides and coaches a fledgling junior team. Sam has spent a great deal of time in Atlanta over the last several years staying with JA and helping the youngsters on the ice. You can't keep Sam out of the rink. That's where I got to know him -- watching youth hockey games.
...
And now the Schneider scene shifts to Atlanta, a destination that shocked the veteran. "Three teams were in the mix," he said, "but Atlanta sort of came out of nowhere. I was excited when (Ducks assistant GM) Bob Murray said I was going to Atlanta. It's the closest I've lived to my brother since I was 19 and playing in Cornwall and he was across the border playing Tier II junior in Messina, NY."

As with any deal, change is the only constant. "My wife (Shannon) is flying in tomorrow. We have to find schools for the kids and get situated. On the ice, it will be a bit different, too. I've been in the West so long, I'm not as familiar with the Eastern Conference."

SI Link

Seems happy to be reunited with his brother, and with his Dad being with both of them!

Good luck, Mathieu!

[ladiesandgentlemen]

Here's a good article on Schnieder and his most recent trade to Montreal:

What exactly Canadiens will get out of Schneider is debatable

Perhaps this deal will re-energize him, provide a twinkle in the twilight of his career.

"I was off to a slow start this year, I had a shoulder separation and a couple of injuries early on. But over the last two months, I feel like I really started to play well and I feel strong every night," Schneider told media on a conference call today. "It's been a challenge here in Atlanta. We haven't had a lot of success.

"When you play on a struggling team like that, it's a much more difficult game to play."

Schneider said he was far from done.

"I absolutely plan to play a couple of more years," said Schneider, who won a Cup with the Habs in 1993. "Right now, my body feels great."

One thing is for sure, Waddell will be saying "Go, Habs Go" come playoff time. That conditional pick Atlanta will send Montreal's way depends on how the Canadiens do in the postseason. If the Habs are knocked out in the first round, Montreal gets a third-rounder in June from Atlanta. If the Canadiens win a round, then it's a fourth-rounder. If they win two rounds, it costs the Thrashers a fifth-rounder, and so on. It's a sliding scale.

For Atlanta, this was about recouping some value for an aging asset with no future with the club.

For Montreal, this was a desperate attempt at plugging a hole in a sinking ship.

As a side note, it's interesting to see the Canadiens and Thrashers help each other out just under a year after Gainey was the frustrated runner-up to Pittsburgh in the Marian Hossa sweepstakes. Perhaps another reason for Gainey to act preemptively this time instead of waiting until the deadline. Or maybe Waddell felt he owed Gainey one?

ESPN

There's also some interesting stuff in there about how the deal went down in Anaheim at a time when the Ducks needed to make some moves, and what value Atlanta got out of him considering the timing.

[DropThePuck]

Newly acquired Montreal Canadiens defenseman Matthieu Schneider takes part in his first practice since being acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers, in Brossard, Quebec, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. Schneider returns to the Canadiens from the Thrashers after a 15-year absence.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)