TOP PROSPECTS - SCHNEIDER

Over the next two weeks, Torie Peterson will be highlighting a group of young players who have shown tremendous promise in our Top Prospects series.
On a very young Calgary Hitmen roster, Nick Schneider was tasked with providing a steady, veteran presence.
At 20 years of age, he was an elder statesmen on a rebuilding squad that was laden with 16 and 17 year-olds.
His teammates looked to him for guidance as they navigated the WHL waters and he was tasked with mentoring his 18-year-old back-up, Matthew Armitage.
In total, Schneider ended up playing in 61 of the Hitmen's 72 games, logging 3,491 minutes - which led all WHL netminders - and facing 1,866 shots, which was the fourth-highest total in the league.
"There was lots of tough nights but you always saw he always was battling for his team, if it was a two-on-one or breakaway he never showed up his teammates, and that's what I liked the best about him," assistant manager Craig Conroy told CalgaryFlames.com.

"When anyone's winning in front of the best team, a top team in the league, you may not see that character but when things don't go well, that's when you really see how someone handles it. And to see Schneids … obviously it was younger team giving up lots of chances, and they were battling every night.
"Some nights he carried it and they won, and other nights it didn't go as well. But he never gave up, he battled right to the end even when he was down three-or-four goals some games."
The Hitmen ended the season with a 24-37-11 record, finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference, but the campaign was a learning experience for Schneider.

"He wasn't letting it affect him, or at least he didn't show it to everybody in the rink. He battled, he was a competitor, and his work ethic couldn't be questioned. I walked out of there thinking 'You know what? It might not have been a great night for the team but he made some huge saves.' You can't stop everything as a goalie.
"If you get enough shots, and enough quality chances against, eventually something's going to go in. You don't want to blame too much of it on the goalie, and vice-versa; if you're winning all the games you don't want to give the goalie all the credit either."
Logging that many minutes will be a benefit when Schneider turns pro this fall. Having to shoulder that level of responsibility at an early juncture in his career will ease any anxiety he may have about playing a big role for his next club.
"When I went from college to pro, I was exhausted by about game 65," Conroy stated. "I think anytime you can get into that many games, and you're the guy, you feel at any moment you can do that, and you feel comfortable with that.
"You know how to train, how to rest, how to get yourself ready for that, so I do think that's an important factor. He played a lot of games, and moving forward he might split time. But whatever happens, if we need him to be the guy and run with him we know he can do it."