Mathieu Schneider clears waivers; Canucks wave goodbye

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Dec 302009
 

It looks like Mathieu Schneider has indeed played his last game for the Vancouver Canucks. The veteran defenseman cleared waivers this morning. The club could assign him to Manitoba, but it doesn’t sound like that decision has been made. Regardless, don’t expect him back in Vancouver’s blue and green.

From Iain MacIntyre (Vancouver Sun):

Vancouver Canucks defenceman Mathieu Schneider cleared waivers today but won’t be rejoining the Vancouver Canucks despite blueliner Kevin Bieksa’s leg injury.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said the team and Schneider agreed to part and neither Bieksa’s skate cut nor Schneider’s waiver status changes anything.

“Mathieu’s had a really good career in the NHL and we wish him luck,” Vigneault said. “Let’s leave it at that.”

He said the 40-year-old blueliner will probably be assigned to the minors, although assistant general manager Laurence Gilman said that decision has yet to be made.

Adds Jonathan McDonald (Vancouver Province):

And finally, all the wrong things are now being said about Mathieu Schneider. While it’s still not been announced where he’ll be playing — likely Manitoba, but you never know — he won’t be coming back to Vancouver. How do we know that? Because AV said so. He made that quite clear this morning. I believe he means it. Asst GM Laurence Gilman had been more diplomatic, but once he heard what AV said, he too became less diplomatic. And yet Schneider seemed so happy on After Hours just three weeks ago.

Messsssy.

  • http://LPSpublishing Lukas McCain

    ” Mr. Schneider was given the option to opt out of playing in Manitoba. The 40 year old veteran will most likely call it quits. Clearing waivers this morning -even after several teams expressed interest in the blue line patroller. Despite recent defence injuries the Canucks will remain without the aging veteran. Look for Vancouver to buy him out of his current contract by the end of this week.

  • http://www.leftcoastbydesign.ca/ Chris

    I don’t understand how the relationship between Schneider and the Canucks soured as much as it did – he must have known that the Canucks were relatively solid on the blue-line (even with the player I love to hate, who has picked up his game recently) prior to Ehrhoff finding his way to Vancouver.

    That said, I still don’t understand how Schneider didn’t draw in for someone like SOB or Bieksa when they were down and out, so there has to be more to the story…

  • http://www.leftcoastbydesign.ca/ Chris

    I don’t understand how the relationship between Schneider and the Canucks soured as much as it did – he must have known that the Canucks were relatively solid on the blue-line (even with the player I love to hate, who has picked up his game recently) prior to Ehrhoff finding his way to Vancouver.

    That said, I still don’t understand how Schneider didn’t draw in for someone like SOB or Bieksa when they were down and out, so there has to be more to the story…

  • http://www.canuckshockeyblog.com J.J. Guerrero

    Lukas – The Canucks can’t buy him out. There’s a specific buyout period every year and it happens before UFA season starts on July 1st.

    Basically, the options are:

    - The Canucks can assign him to Manitoba (or somewhere else).
    - The Canucks can suspend him.
    - Schneider can retire.

    Chris – I’m not sure either, though my understanding is that Schneider agreed to sign with the Canucks before they made the deal for Ehrhoff. It’s possible the Canucks did tell Schneider that he’d be a bit player, but pre-Ehrhoff, perhaps Schneider saw a bigger opportunity.

  • http://www.canuckshockeyblog.com J.J. Guerrero

    Lukas – The Canucks can’t buy him out. There’s a specific buyout period every year and it happens before UFA season starts on July 1st.

    Basically, the options are:

    - The Canucks can assign him to Manitoba (or somewhere else).
    - The Canucks can suspend him.
    - Schneider can retire.

    Chris – I’m not sure either, though my understanding is that Schneider agreed to sign with the Canucks before they made the deal for Ehrhoff. It’s possible the Canucks did tell Schneider that he’d be a bit player, but pre-Ehrhoff, perhaps Schneider saw a bigger opportunity.

  • http://livingillusion.com Jay

    The fact is, the Canuck franchise throughout the years has had very bad habits of picking up big named players way too late in the game.

    Mark Messier, Mats Sundin, and now Matthieu Schneider.

    Vancouver is where aging veterans go to die. Too close to Victoria, I suppose.

    So don’t be surprised if you see Chris Chelios in the green and blue
    next season too.

  • http://livingillusion.com Jay

    The fact is, the Canuck franchise throughout the years has had very bad habits of picking up big named players way too late in the game.

    Mark Messier, Mats Sundin, and now Matthieu Schneider.

    Vancouver is where aging veterans go to die. Too close to Victoria, I suppose.

    So don’t be surprised if you see Chris Chelios in the green and blue
    next season too.

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    I do not understand how the deterioration of relations between Schneider and the Canucks because he did not love – to know that the Canucks blue line is relatively strong (even if the players hate that I love, which also the last game) to find the old Ehrhoff His way of Vancouver.