It’s a whole new world we live in. Professional athletes no longer slink off into the shadows after their playing days end. There are so many opportunities out there and more and more of them are seizing the moment.
In 2023-24, former NHL goaltender, Cory Schneider and former NHL center, Brian Boyle, briefly launched a podcast. It didn’t last too long. NOW, as the 2024-25 season barrels towards its final couple weeks, Schneider and Boyle have teamed up with the New Jersey Devils to re-launch their “One Time All Stars” Podcast. Prior to the Devils’ 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at Prudential Center, yours truly caught up with Schneider to discuss the new venture.
First up, we need some background on the how and the why of this project.
“We started (it) at the beginning of the previous season; the ’23-’24 season,” Schneider explained. “We played together in Jersey and we’ve known each other since college. We went to Boston College together almost 20 years ago now. So, we’ve known each other really well and every time we’d get together and hang out over the summer, we’d sort of stay up late just talking hockey, life and all sorts of things.
“We were kind of like, ‘Maybe we should talk about this on a podcast one day when we retire.’ I mean, everyone’s got a podcast, so, we’re not kidding ourselves. We both retired and were working at NHL Network together and just said, ‘Hey, do you want to do that podcast thing we talked about way back when?’ We’ve always played well off each other. I think we’re different personalities, so we sort of know how to push each other’s buttons or agree with each other. (Brian) had a friend who could produce (it).
“So the three of us, Tommy Sullivan was the producer, started on our own, kind of just got it going,” New Jersey’s former netminder continued. “We liked how it went. People seemed to enjoy it. But then, last spring, our producer Tommy had to step away. He had some other commitments going on and couldn’t put the time and energy into the podcast. So, last summer, we talked to the Devils. I was talking with Pete Albietz about some other things and mentioned the podcast.
“He said, ‘Oh, we don’t have an in-house team podcast. You and Brian are obviously guys who played here, that the fans know pretty well. Would you like to maybe collaborate on it?’ It just took time to get together, come up with the concept, the idea and how to make it work. We finally came around and figured it out. So here we are. We’re excited, we’re pumped. We both have a lot of great memories from New Jersey and we’re excited to sort of be a part of the Devils’ team. The media team.”
Interesting…so, two buddies got together and figured they should share their thoughts with the world. Ah, but that’s not quite right. Most people don’t care about what two random people have to say. HOWEVER, people do care about what two former professional athletes have to say, especially when talking about the sport they love. But why would they bring their podcast to the Devils?
Yes, they both played for the Garden State squad at one point (while also playing for a number of other teams). And yes, they each made their only All-Star team while calling New Jersey home (more on that in a bit). But it’s not like New Jersey is the biggest market they could have gone to, so, why?
“It’s a good question,” Schneider pontificated. “Brian and I both played together here. This is the only team that we played together. We were teammates. That time we spent here together, although it was shorter for him, he had a leukemia diagnosis, so that was a huge moment in his life. We were pretty close at that point. Our wives got to know each other really well. Our kids are the same age. So, we kind of grew closer during that stretch.
“The Devils made the playoffs that season. He was part of that group. I think we just felt that we had a lot of memories and we were very comfortable here. Obviously, they felt the same way. It just seemed to make sense. It’s been a while since I’ve been in Vancouver and I’ve always identified as being a Devil the most. I was briefly with the Islanders and a long time ago with Vancouver, so this is kind of my home base. Brian’s obviously had close ties here and stayed in touch with a lot of people. So, when they brought up the idea and the opportunity, it just seemed to make sense.”
Part of why this makes sense is that there’s a special type of relationship between Devils fans and the players who suit up for their team. Yes, you can say that about most professional sports franchises, but this one is different. Perhaps it’s because New Jersey tends to get overlooked by New York by most people. Whatever the reason, once you’re a Devil, you’re always a Devil.
Of course, it’s still going to be an adjustment for Schneider and Boyle. As former NHL players, they spent a good portion of their time trying to avoid answering questions in any type of interesting way. That’s just what hockey players do, for the most part. But now? Now that they’re technically part of the media (forget “technically,” they are. They’ve done work for a couple of major networks as Analysts) will they be willing to “open up” in a way they didn’t while playing in The NHL?
“It’s definitely different,” Schneider said. “Coming into the media room versus going to the locker room when you come to a rink has definitely been an adjustment for me. I like to think the media landscape changed a little bit in the last 10 to 15 years. There are different mediums. There are different opportunities. What we do on the NHL Network and what we do for MSG Networks, is more for analysts.
“We’re not journalists like you guys, finding answers, asking questions and doing the hard work. We’re just analyzing the game, which is what we’ve done our whole lives. So for us, it doesn’t quite feel like we’re media per se. You feel like you’re more of an analyst talking about the game you love, breaking it down and trying to inform viewers and be entertaining.
“It’s been enjoyable in that aspect. ‘Cause as a player, you don’t always have the opportunity to share those thoughts and ideas. You gotta sort of answer questions the right way and help the team out. But once you become an analyst, you get to look at the game in a whole different way ’cause you’re not in it.
“So, I think for both of us, it’s been exciting and we’re enjoying it so far. Hopefully, this podcast, we wanna have fun with it too. We’re gonna talk Devils for sure, but we’ll also talk about adjustments for retiring as a pro athlete. What are the next steps? How do you create new income after earning (money) playing a sport? How do you maintain relationships? How do you adjust with your kids and being home more often? So, we’re kind of a lifestyle/hockey/Devils podcast. We’re hopeful that people can find whatever they want out of it and not just be hockey specific where we’re just hammering people over the head with boring details of the game or anything else we think is important.”
Having fun is always an important aspect of podcasting. But the truly fascinating part of this venture is Schneider and Boyle wanting to discuss earning new income streams and adjusting to life without playing a sport every single day.
“It’s an interesting concept and a great idea,” Schneider began, “because, again, a lot of athletes quietly struggle. They have great lives and careers or short careers, but everyone sort of views ’em as that. Then, the lights go out and you’re just another person. People have a hard time making that transition into ‘what am I gonna do next? This is all I’ve done my whole life.’ So, we do touch on that. I think for us, part of our theme is the name of the podcast, ‘One Time All Stars,” because Brian and I both made the All-Star team once and that was when we were each part of the Devils; so that’s also another key tie-in.”
Who knows, maybe Schneider and Boyle will have a hit on their hands. One thing is certain though and that’s that they’re both hard workers who are going to give it their all each and every show.
“We just want to connect on all levels with fans and make it an easy listen,” Schneider concluded. “We’re not grinding through an hour of hockey talk where we get off the rails and talk about something silly. We bring up stories from the past that people find entertaining and want to enjoy. So again, we just want it to be informative, fun and relatable. We just wanna be able to relate. ‘Cause at the end of the day, we’re all the same. We’re all just fans of hockey and we want to convey that as best we can.”
Two friends and former teammates, back together again as podcast co-hosts. Sounds exactly like what the doctor ordered.
