Rangers Agree to Terms with Defenseman Braden Schneider

The New York Rangers announced today that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Braden Schneider on an entry-level contract. Schneider's contract begins at the start of the 2021-22 season.
Schneider, 19, skated in two games this season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL), registering one assist and a plus-two rating. He made his AHL/professional hockey debut on Feb. 7 vs. Bridgeport, and he tallied his first career AHL/professional hockey assist/point on Feb. 11 at Providence. Schneider will begin his junior season with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) on Mar. 12. He was named Brandon's captain for the 2020-21 season on Feb. 18.

The 6-2, 210-pounder has skated in 185 career WHL games over parts of four seasons (2016-17 - 2019-20), all with Brandon, registering 16 goals and 72 assists for 88 points, along with a plus-32 rating and 84 penalty minutes. Schneider was selected to the WHL Eastern Conference's First All-Star Team in 2019-20, and he established WHL career-highs in several categories during the season, including assists (35) and points (42). He ranked first among all WHL draft eligible defensemen in assists and points during the 2019-20 season. Schneider was named the winner of Brandon's Mike Adamski Hardest Working Player Award last season. He made his WHL debut as a 15-year-old during the 2016-17 season, and he has posted a plus-nine rating or better in each of his three full seasons in the WHL.
Internationally, the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native has represented Canada in several tournaments. Most recently, Schneider helped Canada earn a silver medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, as he registered three points (one goal, two assists) and a plus-eight rating in six games in the tournament. He also helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and he was named one of the Top Three Players on his Team while representing Canada at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship, as he recorded three points (two goals, one assist) and a plus-nine rating in seven games. Schneider also served as the captain for Canada-White at the 2017 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
Schneider was selected by the Rangers in the first round, 19th overall, of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.