Matthew Schaefer Gains More Love from Islanders Fans

Matthew Schaefer, the charismatic 18-year-old defenseman, continues to endear himself to Islanders fans. During an appearance on “NHL on TNT,” he expressed admiration for former Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The context? Lundqvist was asked the first question about Long Island native Liam McHugh on air.

Schaefer had the opportunity to interact with Lundqvist, asking him what moment made him feel like he had truly entered the NHL. “First of all, it’s pretty hard to get a Ranger from Long Island to ask the first question here,” Schaefer remarked, causing laughter among the studio staff. He added, “I’d like to ask someone from Long Island first, but I’ll pass this on.”

McHugh responded jokingly, “The kid gets it,” with analyst Paul Bissonnette chiming in about Schaefer’s eagerness.

Schaefer’s rise to prominence coincided with a significant cultural shift within the Islanders after the team parted ways with longtime general manager Lou Lamoriello. This change, alongside the hiring of Mathieu Darche, revitalized the team and allowed Schaefer to showcase his personality in his rookie season.

Quickly, he emerged as a star both on and off the ice, racking up 11 points, including 5 goals and 6 assists, in the first 13 games of his NHL career.

However, his success hasn’t come without challenges. During a recent shootout loss to the Bruins, an incident occurred when Nikita Zadorov hit Schaefer hard, sending him crashing to the ice. This led to a brief skirmish as several of Schaefer’s teammates rushed to his aid.