Retro bio:buzz schneider

Buzz had the unique honor 20 years after the miracle on ice to be played by his son Billy in the Disney film Miracle. But this blog is not about Buzz's son it's about the man and his story that his son protrayed 20 years later. Finding pictures of this guy was harder than finding info on him. It's kinda weird but what is important is what brought Buzz to that moment? What has he done after that day? Well William "Buzz" Schneider was born on September 14, 1954 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota but grew up in  Babbitt, Minnesota. He played hockey, baseball and football. He went to the University of Minnesota where he played for Herb Brooks and won the1974 NCAA hockey championship. He later was drafted

98th overall in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins and no. 73 overall in the 1974 WHA draft by the Minnesota Fighting Saints. Buzz played for the United States National Team in 1974-76 as well as being a member of the US team at the 1974, 1975 and 1976 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments as well as the 1976 Olympic team. He turned pro after the 1974-76 National team. He played in a variety of minor leagues before playing four games for the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA during the 1976-77 season. After the end of the WHA season, he returned to play for the US national team at the 1977 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Vienna. Schneider returned to the minor leagues in 1977-78. He played two seasons in the International Hockey League before regaining his amateur status to play in the 1980 Olympics.During the 1979-80 season, the left wing played 62 games for the National team scoring 27 goals. During the  run in the Olympics, he scored five goals and  three assists in seven games going for that miracle and the gold medal. Schneider played on the Olympic team's top-scoring Iron Rangers or Conehead line with John Harrington and Mark Pavelich.After the Olympics he played in Bern, Switzerland until 1983. Schneider returned to the US national hockey team for the 1982 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Helsinki. He retired from hockey in 1983 and went back to Minneapolis  where he worked as a sales executive for a semi-trailer company.  In 2001 he quit his job to gain a commercial real estate license.Buzz was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 as member of the 1980 Olympic team.He is now the coordinator of the Turkey men's national ice hockey team. In the 1981 TV movie about the 1980 U.S. hockey team called Miracle on Ice, Schneider is played by Jonathan Sagall. Buzz's son Billy portrayed him in the 2004 Disney movie Miracle.On the DVD of the 2004 film the director said he asked Billy if he was related to Buzz after he saw Billy's last name and billy just said "Yeah he's my dad" like it was no big deal. I wish Buzz good luck with everything and I hope and look for Billy's movie return.