Cory Schneider

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">If you've never been to Whistler, I highly recommend it. I had never been here before and yesterday I spent some time outside while it was so sunny and it's pretty gorgeous here with all the mountains. The hotel is great too and I really like the village, I went down there and just walked around. Training camp is obviously the main focus this weekend, but we do get some time to ourselves and that's a good thing because there is definitely plenty to see and do here. We have tonight off and I'm not too sure what's on the agenda, I want to lay down for a bit and then if I can get out of bed I'll probably go wander around a little more with some of the guys. There are some shops and some scenic places that I'd like to go see. This weekend is as much about coming together as teammates as anything else and I think we're gelling nicely so far. The training camp roster is filled with guys who were either with Manitoba or Vancouver last year, so it's been good to see all the familiar faces, unlike last year when everything was kind of new. The new guys seem like great guys, great character guys, and I'm sure they won't have a hard time fitting in because I know this organization stresses character so much. Training camp is really only this weekend so it's tough to get acquainted with everyone, but I think good chemistry is formed on the ice during games. We've got a lot of exhibition games coming up so that should give us plenty of time to come together. <img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep2008_camp13_t.jpg align=right vspace=2 hspace=4>Today we finally hit the ice, which was awesome. It was very tiring and very high-paced because everyone's putting it into another gear and trying to give it all they've got. We definitely put in a good day's work, but we still have tomorrow so that's another chance to progress on what you already did or improve on things that didn't go so well today. This is my second camp with the Canucks so I'm feeling much more comfortable. There's no sense of entitlement, it's just a more comfortable feeling and I have a lot more confidence. I really believe now that I can play at this level whereas last year I was kind of stunned to even be here, so I'm not taking anything for granted by thinking that I've accomplished something, because I haven't, but at the same time it's definitely been a confidence boost so far. The biggest difference between rookie camp and main camp is that everyone is a step better at main camp. The best guys in rookie camp are the young guys here, so you just went from being one of the best to being one of the worst. There's a lot of great players here, a lot of great guys and they sometimes make that extra play that some of the rookies can't. You've got to be a little more on your toes here but also be a more patient and let them make the first move. Playing alongside Roberto Luongo has been great so far, we both stayed on the ice after practice to work with Ian Clark, which was a great learning experience for me. Ian is really brilliant, and Roberto, what can't you say about him as a goalie. Just watching him and seeing how he does things is great because he makes it look so easy. He's got so many strengths to his game that if I even pick up one or two things it's huge. He's a great guy, he's very open and willing to talk and discuss things, so this is a great learning experience. I had never really worked on-one-on with him like that so it was good. I'm impressed with the way he controls rebounds, they kind of die when they hit him or he puts them in the corners, so he doesn't give up a lot of second chances. And just the way he moves across the net laterally as well, he gets across so quick, it's just great to see how he reads the play and how he reacts and moves. <img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep2008_skate07_t.jpg align=left vspace=2 hspace=4>We're starting to develop a good relationship, we didn't really see each other a lot last camp but we're roommates this camp and there's a bit of a bond there already. He's been very supportive and encouraging of me so far and I know I'm a young guy, but hopefully we'll get to the point where we can bounce things off one another. As a roommate Roberto is great. We talked a little last night then had breakfast this morning so we're starting to get more comfortable with each other. He doesn't have any annoying habits, he doesn't snore, he isn't messy, he's just a great roommate. It has only been one night so we'll see if that continues, but he's been great so far. He's the older guy so he gets the remote and all the privileges, so I just do what he wants to do. I think, or I guess I should say I hope, that I'm a good roommate as well. I don't think I snore, at least no one has told me I have, I just usually go to bed and don't cause a lot of problems. I've been spending a lot of time on my computer following my Red Sox these days, they are right in the thick of a great playoff battle. They're probably going to make the playoffs, I'm hoping they can even with the division because right now they'd get the wild card which would mean that they'd play Anaheim, which I don't want. If they win the division they get home field advantage so I'd rather have them go that route. I think they're two games behind the Devil Rays and I'd like to see them over take Tampa in the last couple weeks here. It's nice right now because they're playing the Jays so I get it on TV. They lost today but that's alright, they'll just have to win tomorrow. Time for a quick nap, thanks for reading (especially my buddy Drew from back home). </td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">This whole week has gone by so quickly and it's already the end of this trip to Camrose. I've never been to Alberta so this is my first trip here and so far, it's not bad. It seems like a pretty good town, although I haven't really seen much of it other than the rink and the hotel. The set up at the rink has been great, it's really nice. I think it's good to have a tournament like this because you get to see guys in game situation, which is a little different than in practices. At the same time it can be pretty disorganized with guys running around, not really knowing each other and the system that well. Because of that, they put less emphasis on the result and focus more on how you look during the game. We'll be playing a lot of the same guys that we'll likely see during the season so having this in early definitely can't hurt. I've played against some of these guys last season and so this is good for me and I can get up to speed again and getting the competition going before main camp. It helps us gear up and really get in focus because practices are just intense and tough but it's not the same as games so it's good to get that level of concentration. <img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/oilers/images/upload/2008/09/DSC_6279_thumb.jpg align=right vspace=2 hspace=4>I've played against some of the Oilers' prospects, some of them are college guys so I've seen a few of them but other than that I don't really know a whole lot. Obviously they've got a lot of talented guys, I'm sure so it'll be another hard fought game tonight. It's definitely a different dynamic having the tournament compared to last year, where they focused more on conditioning with four hard days of skating and workouts and bike rides. This year it's more emphasis on systems and game action and less on practice. But speaking of tournaments, I talked about the Bean Pot in one of my blogs in the summer and well, obviously it's different but if I were to compare the two: This one is still preseason and you're allowed some slipups to work out some of the kinks. The people are into it with a soldout arena last night and the teams are playing hard because everyone playing for a spot. The Bean Pot's pretty special to the guys who are from Boston and the guys who go to school there. That's also during the season so that takes up the rivalry a little bit and you're playing more systematically and you're playing better defence, you're playing a tighter checking game so I think you saw last night, it was pretty wide open. Both teams were scrambling around, giving up lots of chances so you see less of that during the season. Clearly the skill level's higher here, bigger, older, more talented guys. <img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep1408_prospects_onice07_t.jpg align=left vspace=2 hspace=4>I'm going to get ready to head to the rink but once I get there, I get focused, doing a lot of stretching, visualization, and reaction stuff with racket balls and stuff. It's just some of the things that I picked up last year that I think really helped me a lot. While I'm in Alberta, I could go back to my country faze and see if I have some of that old country stuff lying around... but then again maybe I'll need some harder rock stuff to get me pumped instead of relaxed. </td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"> It felt good to hit the ice again today, me and the guys had another solid practice and I think we all feel pretty good heading into this week's prospects games against Edmonton and Calgary. I think the games will be a good test for us. It's good to be back on the ice practicing but you also want to be playing games. The practices have been good and high-paced but the games will really help us get ready for main camp because they'll bring out the intensity and the focus that everyone's been looking forward to. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep1408_prospects_onice05_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"> These games will be a good opportunity to work on stuff that you might not want to in a regular game situation and just getting the jitters out before we get into the real bright lights of main camp will be nice. The other goalies and I have been working a lot with Ian Clark over the last few days and that's really been good for me. It's been a while since I worked with him and he's one of the best in the business so anything he has to say you listen and he's pretty supportive and imaginative at what he finds to critic good and bad. It's been good to get back with him to work on my technique a little bit. I've been working on getting my timing back, timing the rushes coming in and getting ready and also rebound control as always, just trying to eat up those rebounds because they cause a lot of problems at the NHL level if you give them up. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep1308_prospects_onice05_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"> I'm looking forward to the light travel to Alberta, it shouldn't be too taxing, which is nice, and it'll give me a chance to get to know a few more guys. There are still a few unfamiliar faces that I don't know, and while they are competition, they're wearing a Canucks jersey at the same time so they are teammates as well. It's been a good experience just to get to know some guys I didn't know before and hopefully I'll keep seeing them in the development system. Someone asked yesterday if I am a fan of rap music at all and I'll admit that I like certain rap. Not generic rap, that stuff just doesn't quite do it for me because I think it all sounds the same and it gets pretty repetitive. There are some rap songs that I like that really get me pumped up, there are a couple of songs by T.I. that I like, I like the old school rap like the Beastie Boys and stuff like that, but I don't really have a favorite rap artist per se. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep1408_kanye_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"> I am a fan of Kanye West though, I saw him when he came to Boston College to do a concert and I really liked what he had, he's more creative than some of the other artists so I like him actually. There are some good mixes between rap and rock that I like, the songs with Linkin Park and Jay-Z were great, I like when they collaborate like that. It's a little bit of both worlds so it works pretty well. That's all for today, I've got some relaxing to do before the game on Monday.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">I'm going to start with hockey stuff today since it's on the top of my mind right now. Today's focus at camp was mostly on systems, getting to know each other and get working as a unit. The coaches were mostly talking about communication because you're playing with guys you're not really familiar with so learn to talk to each other, just help each other out and make it easier on one another so when do go into games, our unfamiliarity with each other won't weigh in too heavily. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep1308_prospects_onice05_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">Last time I blogged was probably the first time I had been on the ice since the season ended but this time I feel a lot better prepared. For the past month or so, I've been skating out in Boston and did a camp our in Minneapolis for a week. I got into Vancouver a little early, skating out at eight rinks and those have been really good for preparing me coming into this. But to tell you the truth, it's never quite the same until you really get going with the pressure and stuff like that but I feel like I'm getting settled in. All the goalies had to stay on the ice afterwards while the other guys went off to do some dryland workouts. From what I've heard, their workout was tough and if you look at <a href="java script:mediaGalleryPlayer('http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=MediaGalleryPlayer&galleryId=7099');">the pictures</a> and I'm sure you'll agree but some of the skating we're doing is tiring too. They thought it was more important for us to work on solidifying our mechanics going into the season than doing the workout at this point. It's so beneficial as a goalie and when you get a guy like Ian, who has worked with some of the best in the world (obviously, Roberto being one of them). It's great to work with him because you don't get a chance to work with a guy like that very often and what he teaches you is something that is at the core of what makes a great goaltender. Ian's really big on the fundamentals and those pillars to rely on because that way when you have an off night, you still have your technique that you can fall back on because it's muscle memory. He's very insistent on doing it right and being in the right position. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep1308_prospects_onice20_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">The general mood of camp is just general excitement all around. We've got a lot of new faces here and maybe only five or six guys have been to camp before so I think everyone's really excited and there's a lot of energy around the rink and in the hotel. Who knows what will happen in the next few days but right now we're just glad to be back on the ice. Everyone's getting along really well and obviously I don't some of them as well as others but that's the purpose of this is to get to know guys. It is a different dynamic and we haven't played together very much but hopefully in the next couple of days we'll come together and do well in the games. Yesterday I talked about going to Country Fest and of course, I get asked about that. But as far as choosing my favourite country artist, that's a tough one... I have to say either Keith Urban or Kenny Chesney. I was a really big fan of country music a couple years ago, I've been to a couple of concerts but I don't keep up on it as much as I used to but I like some of the old stuff. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/chesney.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">New England's not too big and I played a lot with guys from Canada and the Midwest so we listened to it a lot in the locker room and it started to grow on me a little bit so that's where it started. You wouldn't think it would be big in Boston but it's big in the hockey community, a lot of hockey players listen to it and the Country Fest sold out the football stadium so there's some sort of interest somewhere in New England. While I still like to listen to country music, I had my country faze but I got over it. I'm more back into rock and alternative now. I would have to say my band of the moment is 3 Days Grace, I went to their concert last year in Winnipeg and it was really good. I got their new album and it's probably one of my favourite albums in the last six months. I like their new stuff better than their old stuff – I mean some of their older songs were good but I think their new stuff is much better, it's got more of an identity to it. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/sep1308_prospects_onice07_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">As far as this ongoing competition with Grabner, it was hard to keep track today because it was hard to tell who's who out there – right now they're all looking kind of the same. I'm not entirely sure but I think he might have had one on my today. We were two of the younger guys on the team last year and so we just kind of started taking notice every time he would score or I would make a save. It's nothing big but we like to keep reminding each other. But I think that anytime I can stop him is an extra bonus because he's such a great goal scorer. Time to rest up for another day at the rink tomorrow.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">The first question you always get come September is, "what did you do this summer?" Trust me, I'd love to roll out some fascinating tale about the day I spent hanging with the Red Sox and how a freak stinger into the dugout led to me pinch hitting for Tim Wakefield in front of 36,000 <a href="http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/facts.jsp" target=_new>Fenway</a> faithful, but the truth is far less compelling. No Papi and no dingers in the ninth, though I did WATCH a Sox game a few weeks back… No, I spent the summer subletting an <a href="http://bruins.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8469626&service=page&tab=prf" target=_new>old teammate</a>'s apartment back in Boston and taking a financial policy course at <a href="http://www.bu.edu/info/about/" target=_new>Boston U</a>. I'm not saying summer school isn't a fun, but the highlight of my stay back in Boston wasn't on campus. I'd say with a fair measure on confidence that it was <a href="http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2008/07/28/good_times_roll_at_country_fest" target=_new>Country Fest</a> at Gillette Stadium (where the Patriots play). Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes and a few other acts played the festival. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/091208_chesney_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">A couple of us took a bus down there and had a good time, which was nice break from books and papers and regulations, which was sort of the opposite. Don't get me wrong, it's great to keep the mind alive after not taking a course for almost a year, but all BC offers through the summer is graduate courses. Thankfully it was a lot of group work, and my group helped me out because honestly, it was a bit beyond me. I have four more electives before I graduate with a bachelor's degree – which I should be able to bang off in the next two summers – and those won't be graduate level. At least not in financial policy. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/09/091208_fenway_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">I've blogged about my "appreciation" for the Red Sox before. You only have to go to spend one summer evening in the stands at Fenway to understand. It's pretty magical, especially come October when the city starts to buzz. MLB playoffs aren't in the cards for me this season, so I made sure I got a Sox game in when I was back. There's no such thing as a boring game at Fenway, but I watched the Angles drag a no-hitter into the ninth inning on my Red Sox. I think it was a <a href="http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20080729&content_id=3219793&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home&c_id=bos" target=_new>6-0 blowout</a> and the stands were still full when Dustin Pedroia drilled a single under the short stop to break Lackey's no hit. The stands emptied pretty quickly after that. Still, a great time. And what does that say about Boston fans? I'm not sure. I guess I'm leaving out the Canucks rookie conditioning camp back in July, but if you're reading this blog, you've probably heard all about it, so I won't get into that. Today officially marked the end of summer for all the young guys. It's all about testing, then two days of on-ice out at UBC before we fly to Camrose for a rookie tournament against the Flames and Oilers. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/09/grabner3_09072007_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">I'd say after the initial dread of fitness testing wears off, most of the guys will be pretty excited to suit-up and get onto the ice again. I'm looking forward to renewing my grudge match with <a href="http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=381879" target=_new>Michael Grabner</a>. We sort of have this running competition in practice: he tries to get in alone and pick the corners on me and I try to get the best of him. I'm not quite sure where the record stands between us because we played together for a full season last year, but I want to jump out to an early edge in 2008-09. I'm going to try to squeeze some regular blog in between practices over the next week or two. Feel free to post any questions and I'll try to answer them in my next submission. </td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">Camp just flew by this week and I can't even believe it's the last day already. Everyday has just been packed with one thing after another and before I even had time to realize, we were up at Grouse Mountain and it's the last day. At the beginning of the week, all I knew was that I was dreading climbing the mountain but it wasn't nearly as bad I remembered last year. This year, we were split up into teams so that we had stay together the whole way up and our time didn't end until the last person touched the Grind timer. We also had to carry a small Stanley Cup that we have to carry with us all the way up the mountain and we had to cross the finish line with the Cup in hand. I think doing it in teams helped make the climb a little easier – or at least more enjoyable - you've got the other guys pushing you and you have to wait for everyone else too. <a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/jun2708_cory01_b.jpg" target=_new><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/jun2708_cory01_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a> It's a lot harder by yourself because you're just with your own thoughts while you're doing it and also I think I'm in better shape so that helps too. I'm not entirely sure how the other teams went about it but our group had four guys so every quarter we switched it up and everyone would lead a quarter of the way up. We tried to set a good pace and to keep the group together. There was a little bit of struggle but we tried to wait for everyone because you're only as fast as your slowest guy. We had to go by that and got up as fast as we could. I think I could possibly look forward to doing the Grind a little bit more next time. I felt much better this time and had a good pace going so hopefully the better shape I get in, the easier it'll be. I mean, I'm not sure if I can take on Rick Rypien's time but I know it's tangible. We took a couple of off the beaten paths, with some of the guys cutting through trails and trying to climb up and around people who were in the way. We didn't encounter anything out of the ordinary or maybe we didn't notice because we were pretty focused on finishing. Some of the people were really moving up the mountain and passing us and we were in a group so we had to wait for each other. You don't like to get passed but sometimes they're just moving faster than you are and they're not traveling in a pack like we were. <a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/27_group04_b.jpg" target=_new><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/27_group04_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a>Best thing about the Grind is definitely the view from the top once you get up there. It's a great feeling that you finished it and accomplished it. You get to enjoy the view of the city and the ride down is pretty spectacular. Mike Gillis came out and supported us at Grouse and at the end, he gave everyone a jersey that was personalized with out names on the back. Receiving the jersey was definitely a surprise and to have it personalized like that for everyone involved was incredible. I think for a lot of the guys who haven't been signed or are still in college it's pretty cool for them because they haven't really had the chance to wear this jersey before. I think for all of us it was great surprise and we really appreciated it. We had this great surprise and the view behind us – just a great way to end a really good week. There's nothing like the Grind in Boston, it's not hilly enough. There are no mountains around there - I suppose I could swim in the ocean but it's pretty level there so you'd probably have to start searching up in New England or something like that. You'd have to go an hour or two outside the city because there's nothing like this around where I live. <a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/jun2308_camp08_b.jpg" target=_new><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/jun2308_camp08_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a> For the summer, I think I just need to improve where I am now, I've set a good base and I've been pretty happy with where I am. The last two months before camp starts, I want to be in peak condition. That's when you want to impress is in September not in June. I'm just looking forward to spending time with family for the rest of summer and just getting geared up mentally and physically for the season. I'll maybe try to fit in a couple of golf outings or tournaments and maybe a couple of weekend trips here and there but not whole lot. It's between July and August where you've really got to get ready so it's hard to take a week off and go somewhere exotic. I'm mostly going to stay at home and train for the season. Have a great summer everyone. I'll see you at training camp!</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"> I just have a few minutes this afternoon before we're doing gym work, so I thought I'd put a few words down for Day Four. We got on the ice with pucks for the first time this morning. I felt alright, but it's the first time I've seen the puck in a while so the timing's a little bit off. I'm sure once I get some more on-ice training it's going to get better. I suppose you have to look at it from both sides because these guys haven't been shooting pucks at all, so they're a little bit off as well. Everyone just has to take it with a grain of salt. Didn't exactly look like all-stars though. Today we were primarily working on tight turns and pivots, as well as opening up to get the puck. I'll take some of it and use some of it for my game, but there are other parts that don't really apply to me. Still, it's good to work on agility, balance and footwork.<a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/062608_cory01_b.jpg" target=_new><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/062608_cory01_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a> We were also doing a lot of stride analysis with Ryan Lounsbury the skating coach. They want you to get your full extension with each stride while making your upper body as still as possible so you're not wasting energy on any extra movements. For me, if I'm racing after a loose puck or trying to race for the bench on a delayed penalty it helps – so that stuff was helpful. We were supposed to head down to the beach in the afternoon for yoga – Locarno I think. It was still raining after the on-ice session so they're sending us up in one of the suites at GM Place instead. Not quite the same view, but I enjoy the yoga. I really liked it last year. I haven't done it since - it's one of those things where you don't really think of until you're doing it at camp, so hopefully when I get back home I can maybe take some classes. Lots of people do it now, but if you haven't, it's not easy. You really have to go through it. It's tough. You really work your abs and core. You come out of it and you're feeling it the next day in places you wouldn't think you would. I'm stretching out muscles that I didn't even know you had. Hopefully I'll be a little better at it since I did it last summer and know what to expect more or less.<a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/062608_cory03_b.jpg" target=_new><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/062608_cory03_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a> It's good for all of us, but being a goalie it's really good because you work on your balance and stability, as well as flexibility. I might be able to get into a few more positions than some of the other guys can, I see a few people are asking about some of the other guys at camp. They're all good guys and everyone gets along surprisingly well. For the most part we're all pretty comfortable with each other. I'd say PC Labrie stands out as one of the funnier guys. Just having known him all year in Winnipeg, I know that his English is still a little rough so some of the things he says are pretty funny whether he means it or not. This is the first camp for a few of the new guys who just got picked this year and they're not terribly comfortable yet. They're trying to make an impression so they're pretty focused. The rest of us are all focused and serious about what we're doing here but I think some of the older guys and some of us who have been through this before are a little more relaxed. I don't want to single one guy out for being too serious. As far as a guy who has surprised me this year? I'd probably say my roommate Taylor Ellington. Last summer Taylor was injured. He was coming off back problems. He hadn't really had a chance to work out and you could kind of tell during the gym sessions that he hadn't really been doing too much. This year I think he had some time to get back in shape and regain his health. He looks a lot better than he did last year - during workouts and on the ice.<a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/062608_cory04_b.jpg" target=_new><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/06/062608_cory04_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a> I think that's what happens when you have a full year of health and you can get back to being fully energized for something like this. He's a bit of a higher pick, so hopefully he's impressed them enough to earn a spot here next year. As far as being a roommate goes, we're on a slightly different schedule - Taylor gets up a little earlier than I do because it takes him a little longer to wake up - but I really don't mind. I can sleep through it. We get along really well. I go to sleep before him so I couldn't tell you if he snores or anything. I'd say the worst roommate habit is probably someone who stays up late and watches television and goes on the computer while I'm trying to sleep. It can be pretty frustrating if you're tired and you have a game the next day and they're up and you can't go to sleep. You don't want to be a jerk and tell them to knock it off, but at the same time you hope that they figure it out. I see some of the guys packing up and heading into the gym, so I'm going to log off. Tomorrow we're supposed to be outside again. I don't think weather will interfere, so it should be a good day.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">We started out today with an on ice session before coming back to GM Place to do some more fitness testing. It's an exhausting day and it makes me think about how glad I am that I finished my class just before I came out here. I'm still trying to finish up my degree and I just did my last finance class this summer to complete it – it was about financial policy. It was pretty difficult but it was a required course and I thought it was good to get that one out of the way while my mind was still somewhat alive. I'm now four electives away from graduation and getting my finance degree. My dad's been in business for a while now so when I went to school, I wanted to do something in that area, which I do have some interest in and BC has a good business school so it all kind of worked itself out in that way. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/09/goalie4_09072007_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">The class I just finished was a six week course that was twice a week, three hours a night. It was tough to sit through it but you get it done in six weeks, so it's not bad. I can really only take classes in the summer because I'm playing during the season. Maybe I could take an online course during the season but I think they're pretty strict on what credits they accept and don't accept so it's just easier to go in the summer and I work out there any way so it's convenient. Not sure what electives I'm going to take yet but that's the nice thing is that I get to pick and choose what interests me and it should be more fun than having to crunch numbers all the time. I'll probably be finishing those up next year because I think the second semester is starting up pretty soon and I haven't registered yet so I think I'm going to enjoy the rest of summer and get ready for camp. I think next summer, taking two electives is more doable as opposed to doing a finance course and an elective so it should be a little easier – at least I think so. Most people want a distraction or a break from school but for me, it's nice to keep my mind going and not be focused on hockey all the time. My parents are really adamant that if I left early that I would finish my degree and my coaches at BC always like it when their athletes who do leave early, come back and finish. And myself personally, it'll be a really great accomplishment because you never know what's going to happen with hockey, if it's going to work out or if you get hurt and having that degree is going to be a big benefit. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/jun2508_schneider01_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">Transitioning from college to pro hockey was one of my biggest adjustments this season. In the first half of the year, where I struggled, I was used to being distracted by class, friends, and socializing, hockey was a big element but you had other things on the side. Then you come out and become a pro and all you worry about is hockey and I don't think I was giving it quite the attention that I should have. It's a big adjustment for a lot of college guys but once you sit down and realize you get paid to do this and it is a profession, a lot of people are counting on you, then you kind of change your mind and your attitude gets geared towards being the best hockey player you can possibly be. Patrick White and I have talked a lot about adjusting and the whole experience. I try to help him out because I know what he's going through, being a first round pick, struggling a little bit out of the gate, and adjusting to college life. I remember when I was still in college hanging out with some of the pro guys and how they looked after me and took care of me. He'll be fine, he seems like a bright mature young guy but I'm trying to answer any questions or give him any advice I can give him. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/jun2508_schneider02_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">One thing I missed at school this year was the annual Beanpot. It's a big Boston tournament between Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern - the four big schools in Boston. Every February, the first and second Mondays we play where the Bruins play and it's a friendly tournament but it gets pretty intense because of the rivalries. It's a big deal in Boston, not a lot of people have heard of it outside of Boston but it's a big tradition that's been going on for about 50 years now. It's been known as the Boston University invitational because they've won a lot in the past few years. It's more for bragging rights in Boston more than anything but it's not a national championship or a national title or anything like that. I think BC's done better in that regard – I think the Bean Pot's more of a warmup for us.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">First of all, thanks to everyone for the comments on the yesterday's entry. This whole thing is still very new to me. I did notice an interesting question though, someone asked if Cory was short for something and funny, because I've even asked my parents and it's not short for anything at least not that I know about. But very interesting question. Yesterday, we went to UBC to do some team building exercises and so all the guys here get to know each other a little better. It gets us to loosen up a little bit and be comfortable talking in front of everyone else, I guess doing ridiculous stuff gets people comfortable with one another. We started with intros and three truths and a lie – we have to say three things that are true and one thing that's not true about ourselves. Can you guess? I play the guitar. I grew up in Boston. I have an older sister. I'm a finance major in school. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/jun2408_schneider_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">The lie is I don't have a sister, I have an older brother – it's kind of discreet but I think someone guessed it right. Then we split up into groups and we reenacted scenes from a movie. My group did one from Dumb and Dumber, which people guessed right away but they let us finish the scene any way. I never really got into theatre, I'm not much of an actor but I guess when you're around your teammates and friends, it's not too bad and it's easier to voluntarily make a fool of yourself. I think Juraj Simek's group was the best one and he stood out as the most memorable actor for sure. His group acted out Gladiator and he just ran around cutting people up with a sword – there were no words, he just cut his teammates in half. He could possibly have another career is he gets his English down, I think he could have something there. Something light before we did something intense. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/jun2408_scheider2_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">We had testing at UBC, where we go through the same battery of tests that we do during training camp. I think it went pretty well but the area I always struggle with in the past was the bike test. Hopefully I improve on my numbers but at the same time you're kind of early in your training for the summer and there's still a lot of summer left before training camp so guys aren't in peak physical condition. I think this will give me a good bearing as to where I need to go for the rest of the summer. The bike tests are the worst though because you're just strapped in with a tube in your mouth and you feel suffocated almost. They pinch your nose because they don't want you to breathe through your mouth and the tube analyses the air coming out of your mouth so they can analyze how much oxygen you're using and all that kind of stuff. I don't know the exact science of it but it's pretty confining. I'm sure you've seen the pictures and it is just as awkward as it looks. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/jun2408_templar_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">After that, we all headed back to the hotel and went to dinner with a bunch of the guys. I think I probably crawled into bed around 7, watched TV, read some of my book and fell asleep at around ten. Right now I'm reading The Last Templar by Raymond Koury. I just picked it up at the airport on the way out here – it's kind of a Da Vinci Code knockoff, a religious mystery, that kind of thing, it's pretty good so far. I'm pretty far into it, actually I'm almost finished, I can't really put it down right now. I generally like to read, especially on the road trips I read a lot to pass time. I'm the kind of guy where I don't read books all the time but when I get into one I don't put it down until I finish it. I can just plow through a book in a day or two and then might not read again for another week. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/prospects_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">The week's schedule is pretty crazy and it's packed from the time we get up until late afternoon and by then, we just want to go to bed so we can be ready to do it all again the next day. It's my fifth or sixth time in Vancouver now, from World Juniors and other camps but typically we stay pretty close to the hotels and Robson, just wandering up and down so there hasn't been a ton of time to sight see but I like it downtown near Robson Street. During World Juniors, I got to see Stanley Park a little bit and we did the Grind last year so I got to see the mountains. A friend of mine, who I played with at Boston College lives in Burnaby and I've been to his house a couple of times so I've had to chance to go out to the suburbs a little bit. Honestly, if I had a choice, I do prefer downtown, there's a little more going on but if I were to get a house and live somewhere, the suburbs would be nice. I really like atmosphere of Robson Street with all the stores and restaurants, it's always busy. It's fun if there's nothing to do, just walking up and down the street, pop into a few stores, so it's a pretty neat area. Hopefully I'll make a trip here where I'll have some more time to explore more of the city, I love what I have seen so far so I can't wait to see more of it.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table align="center" border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/cory_blog.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">Like most of the other players before me, this is my first attempt at a blog and I'm hoping to keep up the tradition. I'm going to try to continue this throughout the week and hopefully through training camp in before the season (we'll see how I do). I haven't really even read many blogs so writing one could be difficult to upkeep but I'll do my best. I guess a blog is really just kind of like a diary – almost just a rambling of random thoughts. I've read some blogs in passing but nothing that I can remember or maybe just none that have been memorable. I heard some of the guys on the team like to dabble in Hollywood gossip and all that but it's not really my thing. I don't care enough about that stuff and honestly, I'm too lazy to keep up with all of that, I'll just stick to sports. Coming into camp this year, I'm one of the older guys here so I know my way around and I know what's going on unlike last year, where I came to camp for the first time. I guess I'm just kind of expected to be one of the leaders and try to set an example to the younger guys and help them out if they need it. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/jun2308_camp08_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">Personally, I want to try to do better than I did last year. Over the last year, I think I've learned a lot and physically gotten stronger and I'm more fit. The way camp is set up this year is a little different because they've added an on-ice component that we didn't have last year. But the way they're going about it is just keeping the on ice portion of it light and doing stride analysis, which is more educational. From what I hear from other guys on other teams and other camps is that they're doing bag skates and sprints and they have to start skating before they want to in order to get in shape to go on the ice at camp. I like the way we've got it set up here, coming in and not having skated as much and still be able to do what you need to do and learn something at the same time. I think some of the stride stuff probably doesn't pertain to me as much as a goalie but I think just improving your agility, balance and explosiveness on the ice is better no what matter what position you play. I'm going to try to use this camp as much to my advantage as possible. I've looked at the schedule so I know kind of what to expect since it's very similar to last year and coming in the second year, you're not as nervous, you're not as scared of what comes next and you kind of know what to expect. <img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload//2008/06/karate04_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1">I think I'm most looking forward to doing... maybe the mixed martial arts because that was fun last year. We learned a lot and it was a good twist to a workout, which made it more entertaining for the guys. I haven't really gotten into the sport since I tried it at last year's camp but I watched a little bit when I can. Back where I'm from, no one really does it as a training method so it's not something I would naturally go and pick up. I think it could be a good method to use for guys who fight all the time but I'm not a fighter so it probably doesn't benefit me as much but it's still a lot of fun to do. I'm least looking forward to doing: the Grind. I'm not good at it and I can't stand it. My time was 40 something last year – probably in the high 40s – I'm not the quickest. My goal for this year? To do better than that – nothing specific haha. We'll see how it goes, that won't be until Friday so I'll have time to work up to that. I'm going to go grab some rest before going back at it tomorrow.</td></tr></tbody></table>