A star is born. He plays in our town, and he plays in the National Hockey League. His name is Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Get used to hearing his name and watching his highlights, hockey fans.
Schaffer is already a fan favorite with Islanders fans. It won’t be long until we see fans wearing his jerseys at Islanders home games.
The Islanders’ rookie defenseman is fresh off being the NHL’s No. 1 Star of the Week after notching four goals and an assist in three games of the post-Olympic break. On Sunday night in the Islanders’ 5-4 victory over the back-to-back Stanley Cup defending champion Florida Panthers, he broke a 3-3 tie in the third period on his 20th goal of the season, and he assisted in Bo Horvat’s game-tying goal at 3.
In 61 games this season, Schaefer collected 44 points, scoring 20 goals and dishing out 24 assists. with a +14 showing. He averages 24:07 on ice per game. He already surpassed Denis Potvin’s team record for rookie defensemen and Phil Housley’s NHL record for an 18-year-old defenseman.
Matthew Schaefer (photo courtesy Sportsnet)
Keep in mind, he’s 18 years old. The Islanders and their fans figured he would be decent this season. The kid played above expectations to the point that he is an MVP candidate for elevating the Islanders from a dormant team to a playoff team.
Schaefer reminds us why sports are fun and why we should enjoy them. We love seeing someone grow into a star. We love seeing someone serve notice. We love watching a player make it happen. The kid certainly has done that.
I haven’t fallen in love with an athlete like that since Caitlin Clark, and I am a sports observer that’s hard to please.
He’s getting better as the season goes along. That’s impressive since rookies normally struggle as the season goes on. They are not used to handling the grind of an 82-game season.
From what we saw in the last three games, it’s as if Schaefer is playing like he’s out to prove a point to Canada for not selecting him for the Olympic roster. With 26 games to go, he has a decent chance of scoring 30 goals.
How cool would that be to top off what has been an amazing rookie campaign? He’s going to win the Calder Trophy, an award for rookies. He could be a Hart Trophy candidate for the league’s MVP.
If you watch what Schaefer does out there for the Islanders, it’s not crazy to think he’s a top-10 player in the league right now. It’s not even crazy to say he could be the best player in franchise history when it is written. You have to watch him to really appreciate him. For one thing, Schaefer knows what to do when he has the puck, exhibiting Magic Johnson’s skills when it comes to dishing the puck to a linemate to score, and shooting his shot the way Steph Curry shoots his 3-point shot.
It’s beautiful to watch. His play is what you call a high-end talent. When it comes to personality, he’s as likable as Clark.
This is what John Tavares was supposed to do, but never did, after the Islanders drafted him. He turned out to be a fine player, but not a clutch one, and he never elevated the Islanders. Schaefer, on the other hand, is the anti-Tavares. He’s a guy you can trust when everything is on the line.
Photo courtesy ESPN
When Schaefer introduced himself to the public after he was drafted, he promised he would beat the Rangers often. Guess what? The Islanders have gone 4-0 against their neighbors this season. It was refreshing to hear Schaefer call his shot against the Rangers, and he did it humbly by saying he has high expectations.
Think about what you were when you were 18. You were learning life. You were trying to grow up. Now, put yourself in Schaefer’s position, and then you appreciate what he has done in what should be a promising NHL career for him. Understand, he went through so much in life with the pressure of being a star in Canada and losing his mother to cancer.
Schaefer plays the game with joy, and it rejuvenated his teammates this season.
Just think. We’re going to see him play in the postseason this season. How lucky are we?
For Schaefer to play in our town is manna from heaven. He’s ours, and he’s not going away.
