Will the New York Islanders use their first pick on a defender or scorer?
The New York Islanders own the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft after winning the 2025 Draft Lottery.
Sports Pulse
The New York Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday.
Schaefer recorded 22 points on seven goals and 15 assists with a plus-21 rating in 17 games last season. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound defenseman suffered a broken clavicle on Dec. 27 while playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Here’s what to know about the 17-year-old left-shot blue liner who has overcome tragedy and adversity to become the top pick in the draft.
Schaefer was also the No. 1 pick in the OHL
This isn’t Schaefer’s first time going No. 1. The Erie Otters selected him with the top pick in the 2023 Ontario Hockey League draft. Schaefer spent two seasons with Erie, recording three goals and 14 assists in 56 games in 2023–24 to earn OHL all-rookie honors.
He missed the first nine games of the 2024–25 season due to mononucleosis, then fractured his clavicle after crashing into the goal post during a game against Latvia on Dec. 27. He was cleared for contact May 1.
“I got [my mom’s] picture and I got her signature … that was the biggest thing to put on my heart.”
Projected No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer is honoring his late mother Jennifer in a meaningful way on NHL draft night ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fEtrMOIVVe
— ESPN (@espn) June 27, 2025Schaefer lost is mother and billet mother in the same season
Schaefer’s billet mother, Emily Matson, died Dec. 11, 2023, after being struck by a train in what was ruled a suicide. Matson was a television news anchor for Erie News Now. Billet families host junior players during the season when they’re living away from home.
Less than three months later, Schaefer’s mother, Jennifer, died after a two-year battle with breast cancer in February 2024.
Schaefer has spoken often about his mother’s role in his hockey journey, recalling how she would put on goalie gear to face off with him and his brother, Johnny, in the basement.
“I love talking about my mom, because I talk about the happy memories instead of the sad memories,” Schaefer told the Associated Press. “She’s always with me in spirit. I know she has a front-row seat to every game. I just want to carry on her legacy and character and the person she was.”
In December 2024, Jim Waters, owner of the Erie Otters, died of a heart attack at age 73.
International gold medals
Schaefer won gold medals with Canada at three major international tournaments: the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Matthew Schaefer stats2023–24 (Erie Otters, OHL): 56 games, 3 goals, 14 assists, 17 points2024–25 (Erie Otters, OHL): 17 games, 7 goals, 15 assists, 22 pointsOHL career totals: 73 games, 10 goals, 29 assists, 39 pointsNHL comparison: Miro Heiskanen
Scouts often compare Schaefer’s game to Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, a smooth-skating, two-way defenseman with elite mobility and poise under pressure. Schaefer’s hockey IQ and skating stride are considered among the best in the draft class.