EXCLUSIVE: Schaefer, His Routine & Staying A Kid
In an exclusive Q&A with The Elmonters, Islanders No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer opens up about his warmup rituals, fan salute, EDM-fueled routine & how the Martin kids help keep him grounded.
EAST MEADOW, NY — Matthew Schaefer’s game has already grabbed everyone’s attention, but it’s the little things — the routines, the rituals, the moments with fans and family — that reveal who he actually is.
In a conversation with The Elmonters, the Islanders’ No. 1 pick opened up about the habits that calm him, the music that fuels him, and the Martin kids who keep him grounded in a world moving very, very fast.
Stefen Rosner: Every warmup, you check Bo Horvat into the glass. What’s that all about?
Matthew Schaefer: “Yeah. I was kind of just… it’s weird how things like that happen. I mean, I kind of just ran into him one day, and then it happened every time. It’s just a ritual we do now.”
Rosner: Before you leave the rink — you’re usually the last one off — you face the crowd, point your stick toward them. Take me through what’s going through your mind.
Schaefer: “It’s a routine again. I like to get the feet going, get moving. I love to embrace it, see all the fans and all that, and just take a second, take a deep breath, and then get ready for the game.”
Rosner: Is there something you do before every game that dates back to juniors — something you brought here?
Schaefer: “Yeah, all my stretching and stuff.. do a lot of the same things, maybe add some new stuff. I mean, I love getting pumped up, listening to music, things like that. Once you get into a routine, you kind of stick with it for a while. There are new things I add in and take out, seeing how I feel, and my body feels when I’m ready for the game.”
Rosner: In terms of music — what’s your go-to?
Schaefer: “Yeah, I love EDM and house music, remixes and stuff like that. So definitely gets me going before the game. So I stick with that.”
Rosner: We know how much you love hockey. You’re the last one off the rink, whether it’s at practice or a game… has that always been the case?
Schaefer: “Yeah. I like to rip around and get my last couple of strides in before that buzzer goes. So then, it’s just getting the feel for the ice, the feel of the puck, getting the legs you want. I think it definitely helps.'‘
Rosner: Is this going to be your first time celebrating American Thanksgiving?
Schaefer: “So I wouldn’t consider this my first time. I’d say my first big one, because the Martins have a pretty big one. When I was in Erie, I mean, we had some Thanksgiving there and stuff like that. So it’s definitely big, I hear, and I’m super excited.”
Rosner: You saw that picture of you holding their kids again… how much do those kids mean to you, and how much have they helped you stay a kid?
Schaefer: “Yeah, honestly, they helped me stay kid a lot. We were watching The Polar Express last night and things like that. I was talking to Marty, but I was like they’re not my kids, but when I go on a long road trip and come home, it’s so good to see them and just do things with them. And whether it’s picking them up from school or dance class or things like that, it’s honestly fun. And I love it because it just brings you back to how excited you were when you could go to school and dance class and all those things with your friends and just enjoy it. And it’s really just all they’re doing, it’s being happy. I mean, they don’t have phones, they don’t have anything, so it’s honestly just happy kids doing fun things. It definitely brings you back to the old days.”
