EXCLUSIVE: Sydney On Matthew Schaefer Living With The Martins — And The Behind-The-Scenes Family Impact
Sydney Martin shares what it was like having Matthew Schaefer live with her family — and the lasting impact he has had on their daughters and life at home.
One of the best storylines of the New York Islanders’ & NHL’s 2025–26 season was Matthew Schaefer living with and becoming a special part of the Martin family.
Seeing the photos and hearing Schaefer's stories about life with Matt and Sydney Martin and their two girls, Winnie and Alice, was enough to melt your heart.
Before the season ended, I asked Schaefer just how much the Martins meant to him.
Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer’s Epic Easter With The Martins & Finding A Second Family In The NHL
EAST MEADOW, NY — For New York Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer, his rookie season hasn’t just been about what’s happening on the ice.
Now, with the season over, Schaefer is going home to be with his family and friends just for a little while after what will be a Calder-winning rookie season once the award is announced.
Don’t worry — he’s staying in touch with the Martin girls and will be back on Long Island soon enough as he gears up for 2026–27.
He Face-Timed them yesterday ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery:
I had the chance to speak with Sydney Martin about what it was like having Schaefer in their home and the impact he had on her daughters and their family:
Stefen Rosner: What was your first impression of Schaefer when he first came to your home?
Sydney Martin: “He was sweet and respectful, but it was also just shocking to me seeing how young he was. I don’t know why I was expecting a “too-cool teenager” attitude, but he was insanely humble. He just wanted to play and hang with the girls. It was really genuine and so refreshing to see.”
Stefen Rosner: Have you ever seen a more mature 18-year-old?
Sydney Martin: “The maturity question is funny because in terms of things like knowing ‘the world,’ he’s just like any other 18-year-old, curiously asking me questions like ‘what’s an epidural?’ But his demeanor, drive, consideration, and kindness are rare. You’d think a number one draft pick in the NHL, putting up numbers like he did this season, would be cocky and want to go out and party and be seen. But he’s the opposite. He loves being home, loves a home-cooked meal, values getting a good night's sleep, eating correctly, taking care of his body, and doing everything the right way. The Islanders are extremely lucky to have him.”
Stefen Rosner: What was it like seeing the way he’s interacted with your kids?
Sydney Martin: “It’s insanely special. I get the comment all the time like, “How are you bringing in another person into your house when you already have four kids? Are you nuts?” And my answer is always that it actually made my life easier in so many ways. When I was making dinner, cleaning the house, doing laundry, putting the boys to bed, he’d be the one playing with the girls on the floor, playing mini-sticks, helping Winnie with her homework, watching a movie with them, and entertaining them. And not even because he felt he had to, but because he wanted to, and the three of them genuinely love each other and have so much fun. My girls’ eyes light up every time they see him in the morning or after school. They think the world of him.”
Stefen Rosner: On the flip side, how amazing do you think it is for your two daughters to have a big-brother figure, especially since they have two younger brothers?
Sydney Martin: “It’s amazing. They already have a wonderful dad they look up to and can’t get enough of, but having that respectful, sweet younger male figure to look up to in their lives will definitely shape them. He always says, ‘I can’t wait to pick them up from high school and embarrass them when they’re older.’ It was also so nice for them to have a transition from Matt’s retirement to still being able to go to games and watch him, see him up against the glass. For them to still have that experience at UBS after their dad’s retirement is so rare, and we’re lucky.
“My boys will also be so lucky to look up to him as they get older. I told Schaef the only thing he can do in return for us is to teach them how to skate.”
Stefen Rosner: How important do you think it is for him to get some time to relax this summer?
Sydney Martin: “So important. Last summer, he never stopped. With the draft, development camp, media things, and preseason, he didn’t really have that classic 18-year-old summer. And then the season started, and he exploded, and Matt and I kept telling him it’s okay to say no to things. We jokingly kept saying he was the ‘yes man’ because he was doing so many things on and off the ice that would burn most people out. I’m happy he gets to go home and be with his family, his lovely girlfriend, his friends, and decompress before he starts training. He needs to be a kid for a bit.”
Stefen Rosner: What chores did he have to do around the house?
Sydney Martin: “I didn’t have him do any chores… whoops. Maybe bring up his hamper every once in a while? He was playing so many minutes and putting everything into every game and practice, so the fact that he’d still come home after that and play with my kids was enough.
“He might also kill me for telling this story, but when we came home from Lake Placid with the girls, I had all our dirty laundry in garbage bags because we drove. He was so excited to help me unpack the car and do something, so I told him to put the garbage bags in the laundry room. Instead, he put them in the mudroom, where we keep our trash until the garbage gets picked up the next day. Well… the next day, those bags ended up in the garbage. He got lucky, though, considering it was mostly pjs and ski layers, but he was mortified, and that was the last of his chore-doing. Matt still loves to give him crap for that.”
Stefen Rosner: What is the relationship like between Schaef and Matt away from the rink?
Sydney Martin: “There are many facets to their relationship. Matt definitely mentors him on the hockey side of things, and Schaef is a sponge for his advice every time. But then there is the brotherly aspect, where they literally wrestle each other to the ground and chirp at each other all day long. I was saying to someone the other day that he’s transformed Matt back into his 20-year-old self when they’re doing stupid goofy stuff or playing video games. It’s been great to see on both sides.”
Stefen Rosner: What’s impressed you about the way Matt (your husband) has handled Schaefer?
Sydney Martin: “Matt has impressed me a lot this year with his work ethic, commitment to the team, and to Schaef. He took on a very big role that I don’t think either of us was expecting to be so taxing. To be at the rink every day with Darche and management and on the road to coming home and helping Schaef through the ups and downs of a season was a side of Matt that I was really proud to see. He’s always been hardworking, but he really went the extra mile to help a young kid through his rookie year. He was always a good veteran on a team with younger guys, so it really was a perfect fit.”
Stefen Rosner: What is one thing about Schaef that people wouldn’t know but should know?
Sydney Martin: “He’s a goofball, but he really takes so much to heart after games. Matt would wait up for him every night to talk everything through because he knew he was going to need a sounding board, especially after losses. He’s young and silly, but he’s a real professional…which might already be something that’s known, but it’s true.
“He also likes really crappy EDM music that he would blast in the basement before games, and he doesn’t like tomatoes.”
Stefen Rosner: What is the relationship like between Boomer and Schaef? I know they sadly both lost their mom young, but it’s probably someone Schaefer can relate to.
Sydney Martin: “Very similar to Matt and Schaef’s dynamic of that locker-room-talk chirping, but so many times this year, my dad would come over and just tell Schaef the ‘good old days’ stories, and you could tell he’d soak it up. But it was nice to see my dad have that same influence on him that he has on my husband, Matt. My dad and Schaef both having lost their mothers young is a connection not a lot of people understand, but the impact their mothers had on their lives is evident, and you can tell it made both of them want to be better people and do so many things for others. They both have that selfless quality that will always have an impact.”
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Love to see this kind of setup with the young guys if they don’t have family living with them. Best if the guys have no worries and structure away from the rink. It makes a huge difference. Darche and Islanders brass handled Schaefer fantastic. Martin and his Wife were instrumental in Schaefer’s success.
Who are the others in the picture above... I am guessing Mathew's dad and Boomer's wife??