Braden Schneider arrived at the New York Rangers’ end-of-season media day on Monday wearing a sling on his right arm and offering insight into the injury behind it.
The 23-year-old defenseman revealed he had been dealing with a torn labrum for the past two years and recently underwent surgery to address the issue. Schneider chose to have the procedure before the season officially ended, after the Rangers were eliminated from playoff contention. As a result, he sat out the final two games of the 2024–25 season—the only games he missed all year.
“The doctors told me I could keep playing with it throughout my career, but doing so would increase the risk of other complications later in life,” Schneider said. “Ultimately, I felt it was something that needed to be taken care of now so it wouldn’t become a bigger issue down the line.”
Although he managed to play through the injury for two seasons, Schneider admitted it impacted the physical side of his game.
“Being a physical player is something I really take pride in, and there were times when the injury would flare up and I’d hesitate or not play as aggressively as I wanted,” he explained. “That’s really what pushed me to finally get it fixed—I was tired of having to second-guess myself on the ice.”
He added that the injury didn’t noticeably affect his puck-handling or shooting, but it was always on his mind.
https://x.com/HockeyDaily365/status/1900377751896383787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1900377751896383787%7Ctwgr%5E93c3c1fe32011da1ccef55403ace66f0d028dde7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foreverblueshirts.com%2Fnew-york-rangers-news%2Finjury-updates-braden-schneider-surgery-adam-edstrom-skating-again%2F
Looking ahead, Schneider is confident he’ll be fully recovered by the start of training camp in the fall. This past season, he posted career bests with six goals, 15 assists, and 21 points. He closed the season on a strong note, tallying three goals and seven points over his final 17 games, including an overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild on March 13.
“I’m confident I’ll be ready for camp,” he said. “And I’ll be healthier than I’ve ever been.”
