The New York Islanders misplaced 4-2 to the Washington Capitals at UBS Enviornment on October 11. Regardless of the loss, the No. 1 choose of the 2025 draft, Matthew Schaefer scored what was his first NHL objective in his first house recreation, poking in a rebound early within the third to chop the deficit to 4–2.
After the sport, Schaefer, who misplaced his mom Jennifer to breast most cancers again in February 2024, was understandably emotional.
“She’s up there with the hockey gods. Possibly she slipped them slightly $20 to get that objective. She’s positively there to assist,” he mentioned per NHL beat reporter Stefen Rosner. The shot meant that Schaefer, at 18 years and 36 days, turned the second-youngest defenseman in NHL historical past to attain a objective.
“When the followers present a lot assist, it’s fairly superb to me. My Dad, brother, and all my household that had been right here, they positively love that,” Schaefer mentioned, with the sector filling with chants of his identify after the objective.
“He’s so good, he was our greatest participant on the market tonight. I assumed he introduced vitality … He’s thrilling to observe. If I used to be a fan, I’d pay to observe him play,” the Islanders coach Patrick Roy mentioned after the sport, per NHL.com.
The 18-year-old himself expressed love for the followers, claiming that it was “superior” to get his identify chanted. Earlier, the Lions led 4-0 after targets from Martin Fehervary, Aliaksei Protas (twice), and Ryan Leonard. Anthony Duclair introduced it to 4–1 on a late second-period energy play.
Schaefer’s objective got here on the 4:28 mark of the third interval on the ability play. Washington proceeded to problem the objective, however it was upheld following a video evaluation.
Schaefer led all skaters with 26:04 of ice time and had eight photographs on objective with 14 complete makes an attempt, additionally game-highs. He had beforehand lodged an help in the course of the Islanders’ opening day loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.