Matthew Schaefer
Canadian ice hockey player (born 2007)
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Matthew Schaefer (born September 5, 2007) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Schaefer was selected first overall by the Islanders in the 2025 NHL entry draft.
| Matthew Schaefer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
September 5, 2007 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team | New York Islanders | ||
| NHL draft |
1st overall, 2025 New York Islanders | ||
| Playing career | 2025–present | ||
Playing career
Junior
Playing at the under-16 level for the Halton Hurricanes of the South-Central Triple A Hockey League in 2022–23, Schaefer recorded 12 goals and 32 points in 25 games, earning player of the year honours.[1] Following the season, he was selected first overall in the 2023 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft by the Erie Otters.[2] He became the third first overall pick in Otters history, after Ryan O'Reilly and Connor McDavid.[3] In May 2023, he signed a contract with the Otters, committing to play for the team beginning that fall.[4]
Early in his rookie OHL season, the 2023–24 season, Schaefer scored his first goal on October 12, 2023, a power play goal against the Niagara IceDogs.[5] As the backbone of an Otters defence group that The Hockey News described as "bleak," Schaefer was leaned upon heavily but managed the transition from minor hockey to the OHL smoothly.[6] He would finish the year with three goals and 17 points in 56 games, earning first team all-rookie honors.[7] His impressive rookie season came in the face of significant personal struggles, as both his mother and his billet mother died during the season.[2]
Schaefer began the 2024–25 season sick with mononucleosis, missing nine games before getting clearance to play.[8] In January 2025, not long after sustaining a broken collarbone at the 2025 World Junior Championships, he was named the top North American skater on NHL Central Scouting Bureau's midterm rankings.[9] Despite missing the remainder of the season, Schaefer received the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award in advance of the 2025 NHL entry draft, having recorded seven goals and 15 assists in 17 games played.[10]
Professional
On June 27, 2025, Schaefer was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2025 NHL entry draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Islanders on August 4.[11] Schaefer made his NHL debut with the team on October 9, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and recorded his first NHL point by assisting on a first-period goal by Jonathan Drouin.[12] Two days later, on October 11, Schaefer scored his first NHL goal against the Washington Capitals as the Islanders lost the game 4–2. He became the second-youngest defenceman in NHL history to score his first NHL goal at 18 years, 36 days.[13] On October 21, Schaefer recorded his first NHL multi-point game with one goal and one assist in New York's 4–3 win over the San Jose Sharks, also becoming the second rookie defenceman in NHL history to record a point in his first six career games.[14] In recognition of his efforts, Schaefer was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October.[15] On November 2, Schaefer became the youngest defenceman in NHL history to record a multi-goal game.[16] On November 14, he became the youngest NHL player to score an overtime goal when he scored the game-winner against the Utah Mammoth.[17] By late November, he was the league website's consensus favourite for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie.[18]
On February 26, 2026, Schaefer registered 17th and 18th goals of the season in a 4–3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens, tying and surpassing Phil Housley for the most goals scored by an 18-year-old defenceman. He also tied and surpassed Denis Potvin for the most goals scored by a rookie defenceman in Islanders history.[19] On March 1, he recorded his fourth multi-goal game of the season and his first three-point performance with two goals and an assist in a 5–4 win against the Florida Panthers.[20] With the second goal, he became the first defenceman in NHL history to be the fastest rookie to 20 goals in a season.[21] He also became just the second Islanders' defenceman and first since Potvin in 1985–86 to reach the 20-goal mark.[22]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
Representing  Canada | ||
| World U18 Championship | ||
 | 2024 Finland | |
| Hlinka Gretzky Cup | ||
| 2024 Canada | |
Representing Ontario at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, Schaefer, as the team's captain, scored a game-winning goal in overtime of the finals to secure a 3–2 victory over Saskatchewan and a gold medal.[2] Later that year, he would win gold with the Canadian under-17 team at the 2023 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, again as captain.[23][24]
At the 2024 World U18 Championships, Schaefer and Canada went undefeated to a gold medal finish.[25] Although overshadowed by fellow underage player Gavin McKenna and his 20 points at the event, Schaefer was also a standout, averaging just under 18 minutes a night including power play and penalty kill deployment and scoring one goal and five points in seven games.[2]
Schaefer was the Canadian captain at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where his standout play was a driving force behind the Canadians claiming the gold medal.[26] He opened the tournament with two goals in a 10–0 victory against Switzerland,[5] adding four assists over the rest of the event to finish with six points.[27]
After scoring a goal and an assist in the first game of the 2025 World Junior Championships, Schaefer suffered a broken collarbone in the following match, a 3–2 upset loss to Latvia.[28][9]
Personal life
Matthew Schaefer is the younger son of Todd and Jennifer Schaefer. His older brother Johnny, like him, played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). His mother died of breast cancer in February 2024, less than three months after his billet mother Emily Matson was struck and killed by a train in an apparent suicide.[2]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| CHL | ||
| CHL Top Draft Prospect Award | 2025 | [10] |
| OHL | ||
| First All-Rookie Team | 2024 | [29] |
| NHL | ||
| Rookie of the Month | October 2025 | [15] |