Induction 2006 - Athlete
First male athlete from
Wetaskiwin to attend University of Denver - achieved honours
scholastically and distinction in two Collegiate sports ‑ hockey and
baseball
Hockey Scholarship takes Athlete to Denver
Before
leaving Wetaskiwin in 1955, Rodney Schneck displayed outstanding
athleticism in several sports ‑ he was a goal tender in hockey, a
quarterback in football, and pitcher in baseball. He was a member of the Sabres Football Team
and on the Cubs Baseball Team which each won league championships.
Rod
attended the University of Denver (1955 ‑ 1959) on a hockey scholarship.
Freshman Year 1955-56
University rules did not permit first year students to participate in
games.
Sophomore Year 1956-57
Somewhat
unexpected, Rod became the #1 goal tender on the Denver University
Pioneers Hockey Team. He soon proved to be "very agile and positional in
his play ‑ a tough goalie to beat". In the spring of 1957, Rod
changed equipment and excelled as a pitcher on the Pioneers
Baseball team. The team won the Skyline Conference Championship and Rod
was selected to the Coaches' All‑Skyline First Team.
Junior Year 1957-58
The University hockey program produced a great team for the 1957-1958 season and with outstanding goaltending by Rod, the Pioneers won their first‑ever NCAA Championship. In the final game, played before 7900 spectators, the Pioneers won (6‑2) over the favoured North Dakota Sioux. Rodney Schneck "who turned brilliant performances" was named goalie on the First Team.
Senior Year 1958-59
The Denver University Pioneers were ruled ineligible to defend their NCAA hockey title. That year, the Pioneers posted "best yet" records. The "greatest‑ever game played in DU History" was played on January 10, 1959 versus a Soviet touring team which had not lost any previous games. In goal Rod "made unbelievable plays to halt the Soviets - he kicked out 38 shots, many from point‑blank range". With the Pioneers leading 4‑3 with one minute twelve seconds remaining in the game... "it was a perfect shot by Krylov which beat goalie Schneck". The game ended in a 4‑4 tie.
Highlights of Achievements
Records
Rod Schneck established the
following records for a Denver University goalie, going back to the
start of their program in 1949:
- most saves
- lowest
average allowed per game
- most
shutouts
Athletic and Scholarship
Achievement Awards (Graduation 1959)
University of Denver awarded five
finalists. One of these recipients was Rodney Schneck.
"Regular hockey goaltender for
three years. All‑Conference baseball pitcher as a sophomore. Grade
average ‑ 2.398, a business management major from Wetaskiwin.
Alberta."
So Much has Changed
Notes added since Rod's 2006 Induction:
The photographs from 1950 signify a different era in hockey or sports in general, prompting a question about protection. Where is Rod's face mask? Where are his shoulder pads? When Rod played, protective gear simply was not in the duffle bag. It is inevitable that a hockey player will get injured by flying pucks, sharp skates, and heavy hitting. Rodney was no exception. Except when he was between the pipes, there was no backup goalie on the roster to step in.
Rod did comment on that aspect of the game:
“When I got hit a few times, they would stop the game. The doctor would stitch me up and we would start again. The players are bigger, faster, sharper and physically more fit because we have a lot of new science,” he said. “But it’s still the same game and you’ve got to enjoy it.”
Rod's job was to maintain a championship mindset and stop the puck. That he did. Just one of the key elements that makes him worthy of Induction into the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame.
Rod wanted to excel athletically and academically. He used that mindset to make it work. Rod was recognized as an all-star in both hockey and baseball. Academically he pursued his MBA and PHD and joined another winning team. The University of Alberta School of Business is the first and longest continually accredited business school in Canada. At the U of A Rod taught and did research while assuming responsibilities as Dean of the Faculty of Business for six years, Associate Dean of MBA programs for 12 years. Among other notable credits, Rod served as Chair of Canadian Federation of Deans of Management and
Administrative studies; for over 20 years, Rodney was the chair of Alberta’s Government Interchange Program; under Canadian Sponsorship he was instrumental establishing a business school at the University of Nairobi.
In 2023 Dr. Rodney Schneck (Professor Emeriti) was described as a legend among grads, still active in leading discussions with MBA students.
Endowed by colleagues, friends and supporters, the University of Alberta offers two awards in his name:
Dr Rodney Schneck Graduate Award in Energy and
Rodney E Schneck Prize in Organizational Analysis
