NEW YORK — Matthew Schaefer won’t soon forget his first NHL goal. The 18-year-old defenseman and top overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft dove headfirst into the moment, literally.
Schaefer found a loose puck after a scramble in front of the net and lunged forward, poking it past Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson at 4:28 of the third period in the Islanders’ 4-2 loss Saturday night.
“It’s crazy, I love these fans,” Schaefer said of the reaction inside UBS Arena during New York’s home opener. “Getting your name chanted out there. It’s awesome, feels like home for sure. … We want to win for the fans and we want to be there every night for them. They come out every night for us.
“We wish we could have gotten the win for them and for the team in here. We are going to keep working, keep working toward that.”
The goal cut Washington’s lead to two, but the Islanders couldn’t rally while falling to 0-2 on the season.
Still, it was a milestone for the rookie, who made the team out of training camp just months after hearing his name called first in Los Angeles at the draft.
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“He kind of took the game over to be honest with you,” Islanders forward Bo Horvat said. “He was our best player tonight. He was moving, he was obviously contributing. He is just so effective out there. He is just getting more and more comfortable every single game. He is a special player, we are lucky to have him.”
Schaefer’s play has already earned the coaching staff’s full trust. After getting an assist for his first NHL point while logging 17:15 of ice time in the Islanders’ 4-3 season-opening loss at Pittsburgh on Thursday, he had a game-high 26:04 of ice time in this one. That was more than four minutes ahead of Mathew Barzal’s 21:28.
“I’m not balancing anything right now with the way he’s playing,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said of Schaefer’s workload. “He forced me to play him — he forced us to play him — so we’re going to give it to him.”
Few players have entered the draft with less recent game experience. Schaefer played just 17 games for Erie of the Ontario Hockey League in 2024-25, missing time with mononucleosis and later a broken clavicle sustained while representing Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. He still managed 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating.
The Ontario native also captained Canada to gold medals at the 2024 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Now, just 18 and already on NHL ice, his first goal offered a glimpse of why the Islanders are looking for big things from the youngster for years to come.
