Islanders Rookie Matthew Schaefer Describes First NHL Season in One Word
New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer reflects on his first NHL season and sums it up in just one word. Teammates also share what makes him so special.
New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer is a special kid. I think we all know that at this point.
When we spoke to his teammates on locker room cleanout day, anytime Schaefer got mentioned, his teammates would immediately smile — some even laughed — before describing Schaef’s impact on and off the ice.
“I think just right from game one, really, having a D-man on the ice like that for 25, 30 minutes a night, changed the whole complexity of how we play the game. A guy that can break the puck out, get up the ice in the O-zone... My whole career, I’ve been jealous of (Cal Makar) Colorado and Quinn Hughes in Vancouver. To finally have our guy, it’s huge. Just hearing his laugh in the room…” — Mathew Barzal.
“I could sit here all day. You guys see it. He is a special kid. Before you get into what he did on the ice, I think what he brings to this locker room and the energy, he cares about every single guy in here. Doesn’t matter how many times in the morning you see him; he gives you a hug. He’s a special, special human being. Obviously to have him here, we’re lucky. His personality, without even getting into what he did on the ice this year, is like a whole other story of incredible. He’s a pleasure to watch, a pleasure to be a part of that. As a part of this team, I think the future with him is so bright. I’m looking forward to seeing what else he has in store.” — Ryan Pulock
“I'm sure you get the same answer from everyone, but hockey-wise, we all know all the talent he has. But just as a person, all the energy that he brought to this team, the passion, he brought in a smile every day, he worked his butt off every day to dedicate it for the logo, for the Islanders. He's a true, really good teammate, a true Islander, and you can see he takes pride every time he wears the jersey. We're lucky to have him, and I'm lucky to have him as a teammate. He makes this group better.” — Jean-Gabriel Pageau
“It’s pretty cool to play with a special talent like that. Not everybody in the league gets to do it in their career. To be honest, I didn’t really follow last year’s draft. I didn’t know any of the guys. I might’ve known the Russian guys better than the American guys. So i didn’t know what we were gonna get coming in but superstar talent. He’s got a huge personality, which I think is great for the organization and the game itself. Special player, and I hope I get to watch it unfold one more time.” — Tony DeAngelo
Following the Islanders’ last morning skate of the season, I asked Schaefer if he could pick one word to describe his first NHL season:
“Amazing. Yeah, amazing,” Schaefer said. “Picking one word is tough because learning is another one. I’ve learned so much, made so many memories. There’s so much I’ve learned on the ice, but off the ice, meeting new people, going to dinner spots, and just enjoying time with the guys. But, yeah, it’s been awesome. I talked to my dad about this all the time, but it was just such a great experience for me. A lot of things worked out. The living situation with the Martins, I think, really helped me a lot. And then just having the teammates I have, the coaching staff, management, and everyone on the staff. When you come into a team that is just amazing from top to bottom. It’s so fun to be a part of.”
Does Schaefer feel like a Long Islander?
“I still have to explore, but I’m an Islander.”
If you haven’t seen his locker room cleanout day interview, here it is:
