NHL

Mathieu Schneider has seen his ice-time dip since arriving in Vancouver.

BY WEB STAFF
sportsnet.ca

The Vancouver Canucks sent veteran defenceman Mathieu Schneider to the AHL's Manitoba Moose.

Schneider, 40, was waived by the Canucks earlier in the week and has not played a minor-league game since the 1989-90 season, when he was in Sherbrooke.

After signing in Vancouver as a free-agent last summer, he missed the first month of the season rehabbing a shoulder injury. Upon return, it was rumoured that Schneider was unhappy about his role and playing time with the team.

Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis, who was also Schneider's former agent, has been trying to trade the defenceman, but to no avail. There were online reports of interest when Schenider was on the waiver wire, but no claim was made, likely due to Schneider's base salary of US$1.55 million. The former 20-goal scorer has only seen action in 17 games this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists.

In other Canucks news, Lukowich has cleared re-entry waivers. Lukowich, 33, was acquired in a trade along with Christian Ehrhoff from San Jose for two prospects.

"He's [Lukowich] going to be our seventh defenceman at this time. We'll see how he does," Alain Vigneault said on Friday.