PITTSBURGH – Matthew Schaefer, along with his New York Islanders teammate Maxim Shabanov, performed the traditional solo skate on the dark ice of PPG Paints Arena, a ritual before his NHL debut.
Despite the Islanders’ 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh, the 18-year-old showed confidence and composure from the start.
Selected at the top of the June draft, Schaefer didn’t take long to show why the Islanders coveted him. In just 12 minutes, he earned the first point of his career with a precise pass to Jonathan Drouin, whose shot tied the score.
Islanders coach Patrick Roy didn’t hesitate to give Schaefer minutes, who played more than seven minutes in the first period alone. Schaefer finished with 17:15 minutes of total ice time.“Our team is very easy to make plays, everyone is in the right place,” Schaefer commented. “I found Drouin there, and it was an easy pass for him and, of course, he put it in the net.”
Matthew Schaefer
Schaefer, with friends and family present, admitted initial nervousness, but focused on the game. Although he doesn’t have the same expectations as other players, he understands the importance of his development for a team looking to advance. After becoming the second-youngest defenseman to debut in the NHL in 70 years, Schaefer lamented the outcome of the game. Despite controlling the game for long periods and taking 38 shots, the Islanders suffered some failures that allowed their rivals to score.“I think he was very good,” Roy said of Schaefer. “He was good at the end. Throwing pucks at the net. I thought he felt very comfortable, very confident. So I’m very happy with him.”
Patrick Roy
“I think we gave it our all tonight,” Schaefer said. “I wish we had won. I hate losing. Now we know and we will learn from it and focus on our next game. But I think it was a great first game for us. I just wish we had won.”
Matthew Schaefer
