By: Tori Schubert

People Editor

Thriving in his first year in the National Hockey League (NHL), rookie Mathew Schaefer recently took on a crucial defensive position for the New York Islanders.

Schaefer has established his role in the NHL, immediately excelling in his first official season after being the first overall pick in the 2025 draft. Schaefer made a mark in his first games of the season, ranked as the top defensive “blueliner” and third overall rookie. At just eighteen years old, he became the youngest defensive player as well as the second youngest blueliner to score a gamewinning goal. Head coach Patrick Roy quickly connected with the new edition of the team, stating after their first game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, “It was very special for me when I started my career, and it’s funny because it was in Pittsburgh. My first start of my career was in Pittsburgh, and same thing for him.” His sociability and success on the ice led Shaefer to be named NHL’s October Rookie of the Month. 

Raised in Canada, Shaefer began his hockey career at a young age, inspired by his older brother. Schaefer played for the Erie Otters under the Ontario Hockey League prior to joining the NHL. In his final season, he yielded seven goals and fifteen assists before a crucial injury. During the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships, Schaefer fractured his clavicle, leaving him unable to play for three months.

Schaefer’s success did not come without additional hardships. In February 2024, Schaefer lost his mother, Jennifer Schaefer, due to breast cancer. Schaefer described her as a role model, remembering his mom with “a smile on her face [even] with cancer and everything trying to bring her down, but she wouldn’t let it bring her down. She’s someone I look up to.” From the moment he picked up a hockey stick, Shaefer’s mother supported him and his brother in their hockey endeavors. She would often put on hockey gear to help them train and fostered an irreplaceable love for hockey in both children. 

Outside of hockey, Schaefer is an active member of the community and loves to help others, specifically kids in need. Schaefer contributes to the nonprofit Smilezone Foundation, hoping to brighten the lives of many children in differing situations. He also aids grieving individuals at the Western New York Compassion Connection, as he explained: “I got to talk to young kids’ families who have been impacted by something so scary in their life, maybe losing someone.” Schaefer’s reliability on the ice shines through his generous nature, where he is always eager to help however he can. 

Schaefer has proven himself as an impactful individual on and off the ice, never hesitating to do what is right. Achieving high athletic standards within his first year, he is prepared to continue his career with the NHL, supporting his team through each win and loss. (Source: NHL)