Andy Schneider

Andy Schneider travelled the world thanks to hockey.

Born in Edmonton in 1972, Schneider learned to skate on his father's backyard rink. he became an excellent skater right from an early age, allowing him to excel immediately as a hockey player.

His puckhandling skills caught up to his skating ability fairly quickly, allowing him move up age levels as a youth. That usually meant Schneider was the smallest player on the ice, but also often the best.

Playing against bigger kids was a blessing for Schneider, as he would never grow to be a big player. Topping out at five-foot-nine and about 170 pounds, he always had to learn to survive in a big man's game. Fortunately he already had a lot of experience at it, allowing him to succeed as a junior and a pro.

In 1988, at the age of 16, Schneider moved to Seattle to play with the WHL's Thunderbirds. He joined the Swift Current Broncos for the next four seasons, becoming a "Speedy Creek" legend. He was never so prolific as in 1993 when he led the Broncos to the Memorial Cup tournament thanks to an amazing 39 points in 17 playoff games.

Despite his junior success, no NHL team ever drafted Schneider. The expansion Ottawa Senators signed him as a 20 year old free agent and employed him on their minor league team in 1993-94. He average a point per game in the AHL as a rookie, and earned a ten game call-up to the NHL. He never got on the score sheet, but showed his feisty side with 15 minutes in penalties.

After a couple more seasons in the minor leagues, Schneider went on to a lengthy career in Europe. He briefly played in Sweden before long stops in Germany and Austria.

Schneider retired as a player in 2011 and became a NHL scout.