Andy Schneider

Andy Schneider was born in Edmonton, Alberta on March 29^th, 1972. At four years old, he began skating on his backyard rink made by his father in the garden. Andy has many fond memories skating with his friends and family there. The first team he played for was the Knights of Columbus. Coached by his father, Roy, he excelled at a very young age, and he always played as an under aged player. In bantam he received both the Imperial Most Valuable player in the city of Edmonton as well as the ESSO award. He was selected to appear in a commercial opposite Dave Lumly when he was eight years old.    Andy went on to play for Team Pacific in 1988. After the tournament, he went on to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds as a sixteen year old. He was listed in 1986 by Jim Henderson who later became the head scout for the Swift Current Broncos. In 1988-89 Andy enjoyed a good rookie season with the Thunderbirds recording seven goals and 33 points. In the 1989-90 season he was traded to Swift Current in November for Peter Kasowski, Scott Albert and Kevin Barret.   In 1992, Andy was selected to play in Fussen, Germany for the Canadian World Junior Team. The following year, after defeating Portland in seven games, the Broncos became the 1992-93 Western League Champs. He was then honored as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. The Broncos went on to the Memorial Cup in Sault Ste. Marie.   After Junior, Andy signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators. He spent time in Prince Edward Island and played ten games in the NHL. Andy went on to play in the Swedish Elite League for one year. He returned to the AHL Playing for the Moose in Minnesota then Winnipeg. Andy returned to Europe in 1997 where he would spend the next ten years playing for the DEL. He played for the Schwenningen Wild Wings, Munich Barons, Hamburg Freezers, where he served as the team captain for two years. He spent the last three years of his DEL career in Dusseldorf. Andy is currently the second all time for games played as an import in the DEL.    Andy currently plays for the KAC in Klagenfurt, Austria in the Austrian Elite League. He spends the off-season in Swift Current where he enjoys golfing, training, playing guitar and coaching his sons in soccer and baseball. He married a local girl, Kim Schiffner in Las Vegas in 1997. They have two boys; Jackson, aged seven, and Zachary, aged five. Both boys share their father’s love for hockey.    Andy’s hockey career has allowed him and his family to experience the culture and lifestyle of many European countries. He has also traveled across North America from Alaska to Prince Edward Island and from Seattle to New Haven. Through all of his experiences, Andy has many fond memories of his time as a Bronco.