After turning 18 a month ago, defenseman Matthew Schaefer is now set to make his NHL debut for the New York Islanders on Thursday in the team’s season opener.
Schaefer, the No. 1 overall selection in June’s NHL entry draft, officially was named to the Islanders’ roster Monday.
New York will be in Pittsburgh on Thursday to face 2005 No. 1 overall pick Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. The Islanders then will face the Washington Capitals at home Saturday, making Schaefer the eighth player all time to face Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in the first two games of their career.
Schaefer, who was paired with veteran defenseman Scott Mayfield for most of the preseason to learn the ropes, has the potential to become an elite two-play player with his skating skills and puck-moving acumen. Along with his abilities on the ice, the Islanders have been impressed with his poise off of it while dealing with the loss of his mother in February 2024 and his billet mom the previous December.
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Schaefer is making the leap from the Ontario Hockey League, where he scored 22 points (seven goals, five assists) in 17 games last season for the Erie Otters. He came away with a broken clavicle Dec. 27 while playing for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship, ending his season.
The previous winter, Schaefer tallied 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 56 games with the Otters, earning first-team all-rookie honors. He won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2024 U18 World Hockey Championships in Finland.
He is the Islanders’ first No. 1 draft pick since they tabbed John Tavares in 2009 and the fifth overall in franchise history.
Schaefer is also the fifth defenseman to be selected No. 1 overall since 2000, joining Erik Johnson (2006, St. Louis Blues), Aaron Ekblad (2014, Florida Panthers), Rasmus Dahlin (2018, Buffalo Sabres) and Owen Power (2021, Buffalo Sabres).
