Schaefer, #1 Draft Pick, scores his 1st NHL goal, but Isles fall

Young defenseman Matthew Schaefer will not easily forget his first goal in the NHL. The 18-year-old player, selected as the first overall pick in this year’s draft, threw himself headfirst into the action, literally. Schaefer pounced on a loose puck after a scramble in front of the net and stretched to push it past Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson at 4:28 of the third period in the Islanders’ 4-2 loss on Saturday night.

“It’s crazy, I love these fans. Hearing your name chanted there. It’s incredible, it feels like home for sure… We want to win for the fans and we want to be there every night for them. They come every night for us.”

Matthew Schaefer

Although the goal reduced Washington’s lead to two, the Islanders couldn’t come back and suffered their second loss of the season.

However, it was a milestone for the rookie, who managed to make the team after training camp, only months after being named first in the draft in Los Angeles.

“To be honest, he dominated the game. He was our best player tonight. He was moving, obviously contributing. He’s very effective out there. He feels more and more comfortable in every game. He’s a special player, we’re lucky to have him”.

Bo Horvat

Schaefer’s performance has already earned the full confidence of the coaching staff. After getting an assist for his first point in the NHL, playing 17:15 minutes in the Islanders’ 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday, he had a playing time of 26:04 in this game. 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.”

Patrick Roy

Few players have entered the draft with less recent game experience. Schaefer only played 17 games for Erie of the Ontario Hockey League in 2024-25, missing time due to mononucleosis and later a broken collarbone suffered while representing Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. Still, he managed 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a +21 rating.

The Ontario native also captained Canada to win gold medals at the 2024 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Now, at just 18 years old and already on the NHL ice, his first goal offered a glimpse of why the Islanders expect great things from the youngster in the coming years.