Matthew Schaefer joins the NHL on TNT panel

Matthew Schaefer joins the NHL on TNT panel

FRANCHISE. AND EARLIER HE JOINED US TO CHAT. MATTHEW, THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING ON. LIAM MCHUGH, PAUL BISSONNETTE, ANSON CARTER, HENRIK LUNDQVIST, HANK, YOU’RE UP FIRST. >> MATTHEW, CONGRATS ON A GREAT START TO NHL CAREER. I WANT TO ASK YOU, I REMEMBER MY ROOKIE YEAR, I HAD MOMENTS THROUGHOUT THAT SEASON WHERE I REALLY HAD TO PINCH MYSELF BECAUSE I WAS FACED AGAINST SOME OF MY CHILDHOOD HEROES. I’M THINKING ABOUT DOMINIK HASEK ESPECIALLY, AND MARTY BRODEUR. HAVE YOU HAD A COUPLE OF THOSE MOMENTS YET, AND WHO ARE THE PLAYERS? IF THAT’S THE CASE? >> FIRST OFF, IT’S PRETTY TOUGH TO GET A RANGE. YOU’RE ASKING ME THE FIRST QUESTION ABOUT THE LONG ISLAND NATIVE HERE. >> SO. >> YOU KNOW, I’D RATHER THE LONG ISLAND NATIVE ASK ME FIRST, BUT I’LL LET THIS ONE SLIDE. BUT YEAH. >> THE KID. >> GETS IT. HE UNDERSTANDS. COMING IN HOT. >> HEY, IT’S IT IS WHAT IT IS. I’LL LET IT SLIDE. BUT NO, IT’S IT’S PRETTY COOL. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THE LEAGUE YOU WANT TO BE IN AS A KID AND AS AN 18 YEAR OLD, IT’S PRETTY COOL. AND THEN PLAYING AGAINST, YOU KNOW, SIDNEY CROSBY, CONNOR MCDAVID, OVECHKIN YOUR FIRST COUPLE GAMES, IT’S IT’S DEFINITELY PRETTY COOL. AND YOU WATCH THEM GROWING UP AND ESPECIALLY BEING IN ERIE AND WATCHING MCDAVID GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THERE AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IT WAS PRETTY EASY FOR ME TO MAKE THE DECISION WITH HIM GOING THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION ALREADY. SO YEAH, I MEAN IT’S PRETTY COOL PLAYING AGAINST ALL THOSE GUYS. >> MATTHEW. DON’T WORRY. WE’RE GOING TO EDIT ALL THAT OUT WITH HENRIK LUNDQVIST. IT’S NEVER GOING TO MAKE AIR ANYWAY, SO IT’S ALL GOOD. LISTEN, AS A KID WHO GREW UP ALONG AND, YOU KNOW, WENT TO THE NASSAU COLISEUM AS A KID AND WATCHED THE ISLANDERS AND LOVE THIS TEAM, IT’S SO COOL TO WATCH YOU OUT THERE AND THE ENERGY AND THE EXCITEMENT YOU’RE BRINGING TO THAT CROWD. I’M WONDERING FOR YOU, THOUGH, WHAT IT’S LIKE TO PLAY IN FRONT OF THAT CROWD AND HOW MUCH ENERGY YOU GET FROM THEM. >> YEAH, I MEAN, IT’S AWESOME. EVERY, EVERY TIME YOU PLAY AT HOME, IT’S PROBABLY OUR BEST GAMES FOR SURE. WHEN THE FANS ARE BEHIND US. HONESTLY, I DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT LONG ISLAND BEFORE, YOU KNOW, GETTING DRAFTED HERE AND I LOVE IT. YOU KNOW, JUST EVERYONE, ALL THE FANS, ALL THE PEOPLE, THEY REALLY COME TOGETHER. YEAH. I MEAN, THE ARENA IS AWESOME. SO EVERYTHING HAS BEEN JUST SO, SO HIGH CLASS AND IT’S BEEN AWESOME. >> SKJEI IT’S ACE. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE DRAFT. WHEN WE SKATED, YOU STOLE TO MY ASSIST. I WANT THAT ASSIST BACK. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HANK WAS TALKING ABOUT ON THE ICE. YOU’RE WELCOME TO THE NHL MOMENT. WHAT ABOUT OFF THE ICE? HAS THERE BEEN ONE THING THAT YOU’VE ENCOUNTERED OR EXPERIENCED, LIKE CHARTER PLANES STAYING IN THE FOUR SEASONS THAT YOU’RE LIKE, WOW, THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO PLAY IN THE SHOW? >> YEAH, I MEAN, OFF THE ICE, IT’S LIKE, YOU KNOW, CHARTERED PLANES YOU WALK ON, YOU GET A LITTLE SUSHI ACTION, RIGHT? RIGHT. AS YOU, YOU PLAY A GAME AND THEN YOU GET SOME SUSHI. AND, YOU KNOW, THE UNCRUSTABLES ARE ALWAYS THE GO TO FOR ME. ALL THE GUYS CAN SAY THAT. BUT YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ON THE ICE, YOU KNOW, GETTING GETTING SOME BIG HITS FROM BIG GUYS IN THE ICE, JUST, YOU KNOW, THE CHARTERED PLANES AND ALL THE FOOD. IT’S IT’S PRETTY COOL. I MEAN, I MY DAD’S LIKE ALWAYS I’M LIKE, IT’S PRETTY IT’S PRETTY WILD WHEN I’M COMING ON THE PLANE. AND I’M GETTING A NICE LITTLE STEAK ON THE WAY HOME. >> SO. >> YOU KNOW, I DON’T MIND IT AT ALL. >> SKJEI. DADDY, IT’S BUSY HERE. YOU BETTER BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR WITH THIS ANSWER. ALL RIGHT? NO FUNNY BUSINESS. >> I LOVE HOW YOU CALL ME DADDY. YOU KNOW WHAT’S UP? >> YEAH. YOU RAN MY SHOW WHEN WE. >> HAD YOU ON THE PODCAST, SO YOU BETTER BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR THIS TIME. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU WITH, WITH WITH THE START THAT YOU’VE HAD, I FEEL LIKE THERE’S A BIT OF A TARGET ON YOUR BACK NOW. AND LIKE THE ZADOROV INCIDENT THE OTHER DAY, YOU’RE LIVING WITH MATT MARTIN, FORMER ISLANDER TOUGH GUY. HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING A FEW POINTERS ON HOW TO SCRAP AND MAYBE HANDLE YOUR OWN BUSINESS? AND MAYBE WHEN WILL WE SEE YOU DROP THE MITTS? >> OH, ACTUALLY, I’LL TELL YOU A FUNNY STORY. SO THE IT WAS ONE OF THE GAMES I THINK I GOT HIT AND THEN ALL THE GUYS JUMPED IN. IT WAS AT THE END OF THE GAME AND ALL THE GUYS JUMPED IN, AND THEN I KIND OF GRABBED THE GUY AND I WASN’T REALLY DOING MUCH WITH HIM. AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, MATT MARTIN COMES UP TO ME AND GOES, IF YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN, YOU’RE NOT STAYING AT MY HOUSE AGAIN. >> HE’S LIKE. >> GRAB HIM AND THROW PUNCHES OR SOMETHING. DON’T HUG HIM. >> THAT’S LIKE. >> WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HE’S LIKE, AND HE’S LIKE, I WOULD NEVER DO THAT. SO HE WAS GIVING IT TO ME. SO THEN THE NEXT GAME WE WERE IN PHILLY AND THERE WAS ANOTHER SCRUM AND I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF THE GUYS AND HE GOES, HEY, I SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU WHEN WHEN WE TOUCHED YOU. SO I’M LIKE, OKAY, LET’S LET’S MAKE IT ACT LIKE WE’RE DOING SOMETHING HERE. SO WE GRAB EACH OTHER LIKE WE’RE THROWING PUNCHES. SO THEN I GO TO MARTY AFTER THE GAME, LIKE YOU LIKE THAT ONE BIG BOY, AND HE’S AND HE’S LIKE, OH, I LOVE IT. AND THEN I TOLD HIM THE STORY AND HE WAS CRYING. SO NO, IT’S JUST FUNNY BECAUSE I GRABBED HIM AND HE WAS ALL AT ME. AND THEN THE NEXT GAME I GO AND I GRABBED THE GUY. I’M LIKE, HEY, LET’S PRETEND LIKE WE’RE DOING SOME HERE. AND THEN I WENT UP TO HIM AFTER I WAS ALL FIRED UP, LIKE, YOU SEE THAT ONE? >> OH, MAN. >> YEAH, THAT’S GREAT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU, SPEAKING FOR ISLANDERS FANS, WE DON’T WANT ANYONE TOUCHING YOU. I DON’T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT. THERE ARE GUYS WHO COULD HIT. YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE GUYS YOU CANNOT HIT. AND YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE COOL STORIES AND I’VE TOLD THIS TO A FEW PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, YOU KNOW, MY, MY BOYS PLAY ALL SPORTS, BUT THEY DON’T PLAY HOCKEY, BUT THEY FOLLOW THE ISLANDERS. AND EVERY DAY IT’S. DID THE ISLANDERS WIN? WHAT DID MATTHEW SCHAEFER DO? THEY WANT THEY WANT TO KNOW THOSE QUESTIONS. DID HE GET AN ASSIST. DID HE GET A GOAL. AND I THINK PART OF IT IS BECAUSE LISTEN YOU’RE AN ELECTRIC TALENT ON THE ICE, BUT YOU’RE JUST A GREAT PERSON OFF THE ICE. AND YOU KNOW IT IS. HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER MONTH. AND WE HAD OUR HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER NIGHT LAST NIGHT. AND YOU LOST YOUR MOM NOT SO LONG AGO. BUT THOSE STORIES THAT I HEAR OF YOU GOING INTO, YOU KNOW, INTO TOWNS, INTO COMMUNITY CENTERS AND TALKING TO YOUNG KIDS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH SIMILAR SITUATIONS. WE HEAR HOW MUCH THEY GET OUT OF TALKING TO YOU. I JUST WANT TO. HOW MUCH? HOW MUCH DO YOU GET OUT OF IT? IS IT THERAPEUTIC FOR YOU AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO GO AND TALK TO THEM? >> YEAH, 100%. I MEAN, EVEN JUST BEING IN SEASON TWO AND BEING ABLE TO TALK TO KIDS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT HELPS SO MUCH. AND I THINK IT JUST, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOSE THE LOVE WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, LOSE A LOVED ONE, IT’S IT’S NICE TO GO BACK AND HELP PEOPLE. AND I THINK IT JUST, YOU KNOW, HELPS FOR MY SAKE OF JUST, YOU KNOW, GRIEVING AND, AND DOING A LOT OF THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, HELP GO BACK AND HELP KIDS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH SIMILAR THINGS. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN I GOT TO SIGN MY ENTRY LEVEL CONTRACT, I THINK IT WAS AWESOME WHEN I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT, AND IT MADE IT JUST THAT MUCH MORE SPECIAL TO HAVE KIDS COME EXPERIENCE SOMETHING AS COOL AS THAT. SO YEAH, JUST FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, IT’S IT’S SOMETHING WE’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO AND IT’S SO NICE TO DO TO HELP PEOPLE. SO THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE THINGS DOWN THE ROAD THAT I’M GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO, WHETHER IT’S FOUNDATIONS FOR MY MOM AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS. SO I KNOW I’M ALREADY REALLY INVOLVED WITH THAT. AND A LOT OF GUYS ON MY TEAM HAVE A LOT OF THINGS LIKE THAT. SO YEAH, I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE AND I LOVE HELPING IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE, WHETHER IT’S YOUNG KIDS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING AS SCARY AS LOSING A LOVED ONE OR JUST BATTLING, YOU KNOW, A SICKNESS THEMSELVES, IT’S SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM. I MEAN, I KNOW I’M A SIMILAR KID TO THEM, BUT I’M MORE OF IN THE SPOTLIGHT. SO THEY LOOK UP TO ME IN A WAY WHICH IS WHICH IS PRETTY COOL FOR ME BECAUSE I JUST, YOU KNOW, SEE MYSELF AS JUST AN ORDINARY KID. SO, I MEAN, IT GOES A LONG WAY AND I AND I LOVE DOING

Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer joins Biz, Ace, Hank, and Liam to chat about the hot start to his rookie year, playing for the Islanders, living with Matt Martin, and Hockey Fights Cancer.

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