After leading the Brandon Wheat Kings to a first place finish in the WHL East Division Hub Centre, Prince Albert's Braden Schneider is now battling with Team Canada a the IIHF World Championships. (Keith Hershmiller/WHL)

By paNOW Staff

Schneider Shines

Schneider records point, Canada fighting for playoffs in Latvia

May 31, 2021 | 2:19 PM

The spotlight of the IIHF Men’s World Championships has not been too bright for Prince Albert’s Braden Schneider as the defenceman picked up his first assist of the tournament in a 7-1 win for Team Canada over Italy on Sunday.

The point came just minutes into the first period with the game still scoreless, Schneider found a seam to get a shot through from the right point, and the rebound was collected and deposited by Winnipeg Jets prospect Cole Perfetti. Schneider and Perfetti are two of four players aged 20 or under that were selected to represent Canada this year.

After a rough start to the tournament marked by three straight losses to Latvia, USA, and Germany, the Canadians have bounced back with three consecutive wins over Norway, Kazakhstan, and Italy.

Schneider has dressed in five of the six games for Canada, and is getting another taste of professional-caliber competition after skating in two games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League earlier this season. The first round pick of the New York Rangers in 2020 was returned to the Brandon Wheat Kings after those two games, and led the Wheaties to a Subway Cup title in the WHL’s East Division Hub Centre in Regina.

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Team Canada will need a single point on Tuesday against Finland, the top-ranked team in Group B, in order to advance to the playoffs. Canada currently sits in fifth place in Group B, even with Germany and one point back of Kazakhstan. Germany holds the tiebreaker over Canada due to the round robin victory. Canada would hold the tiebreaker over Kazakhstan, which has completed its round robin schedule.

The showdown between Canada and Finland will begin at 3:15 a.m. CST.

East Division All-Star

While competing overseas, Schneider continues to receive accolades at home as the 19-year-old defenceman was named to the WHL’s 2021 East Division All-Star Team.

Schneider’s 22 assists were second-most among WHL defencemen, and his plus-18 rating was tied for fifth among all players across the league.

Rounding out the division all-star team were Saskatoon Blades goaltender Nolan Maier, Regina Pats defenceman Ryker Evans and forward Connor Bedard, Wheat Kings forward Ben McCartney, and Winnipeg ICE forward Peyton Krebs.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On twitter: @princealbertnow