When the New York Islanders stepped up to the podium at the 2025 NHL Draft, they didn’t just select a defenseman — they chose resilience.
Matthew Schaefer, an elite two-way blueliner from Ontario, was taken No. 1 overall this past June. At 6-foot-1 and loaded with skills that include smooth skating and crisp passing, Schaefer checks every box for a franchise looking to make the playoffs this season and be relevant again.
But his game is only part of the story. The 17-year-old endured a year that would shake anyone – overcoming mono and sustaining a broken collarbone at the 2025 World Junior Championships. It also included the deaths – just months apart – of his mother and his billet mom. On draft night, he kissed a pink breast cancer ribbon stitched into his Islanders jersey.
Schaefer models his game after Cale Makar, but his mentality may be even more important to the Isles’ rebuild. Now, as he eyes his first NHL training camp, I caught up with Schaefer at the annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase, co-sponsored by Upper Deck, at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex near Washington, D.C.
Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Matthew Schaefer Ready to Anchor Islanders’ Future”
