The lockout blues aren’t just for fans anymore
Cory Schneider has had enough of the NHL lockout, and has agreed to a monthly contract with Ambri Piotta of the Swiss National League A.
Schneider will not be considered an import in the National League A due to his dual citizenship shared between the U.S. and Switzerland, and could start as soon as Saturday for Ambri Piotta.
Schneider joins Jannik Hansen and Dale Weise in Europe after sharpening his skills for the first couple months in Vancouver.
A number of Canucks helped put a positive spin on the lockout by raising $200,000 to support the Canucks Autism Network in mid-October, but it has become increasingly obvious that the Schneider and other NHLPA members have grown tiresome of the work stoppage.
“Two months in,” Schneider told Ben Kuzma of The Provincein disgust. “I play for a living. At some point I really want to play – here or abroad – and stay sharp, and 18 months is not good for a goalie or anybody. I simply can’t afford it.”
Cory Schneider is fed up and heading to Switzerland (Photo: Yahoo)
Clearly the lockout is a pressing issue for Schneider, who understands how important it can be to maintain a proper career trajectory.
26 year-old goaltenders need to receive starts in order to improve their game, and obviously catching pucks for Bieksa’s Buddies wasn’t exactly what Schneider had in mind for an off-season workout.
Practicing on a European ice surface also isn’t ideal for Schneider, however there are very few options for a young professional in pursuit of an (eventual) starting gig in the NHL.
“The larger ice surface is clearly the difference, and it spread things out and there’s not as much of a cluster in front of the net,” Schneider’s agent Mike Luit explained to The Province.
Apparently not everyone can just hang up the pads and play poker all winter.
Forbes’ Big Evaluation
A lockout is never a good sign for the financial strength of a sports league, but a report by Forbes released on Wednesday suggests that not all NHL franchises are struggling.
Forbes released their evaluations of all 30 teams on Wednesday, declaring the Toronto Maple Leafs the most valuable club at $1-billion.
So why aren’t we all enjoying NHL hockey this winter? “Because on the financial scoreboard, the league’s 30 teams have never been farther apart,” Forbes’ Mike Ozanian concluded.
The Vancouver Canucks were evaluated at $342-million by Forbes after generating $143-million in revenue last season.
Check out the full list of NHL organizations here.
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