Just over three months after being selected first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, Matthew Schaefer has made the New York Islanders roster.
Schaefer, who turned 18 on September 5, will make his NHL debut just two hours south of where he played minor hockey, as the Islanders visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 7 p.m. faceoff.
Schaefer became the second Erie Otters player to be selected first overall in the last decade, joining Connor McDavid, who the Edmonton Oilers selected in the 2015 draft.
“Being an 18-year-old playing professional hockey in the NHL in a market like New York, his maturity really gave me confidence that it won’t be an issue,” General Manager and EVP Mathieu Darche said. “That’s what comforts me, he’s ready for this. We’ll start the season and see where it goes. “He’s proven that he deserves to be in the lineup on Thursday vs Pittsburgh.”
Schaefer begins the year with the Islanders, but is still eligible to return to the Erie Otters. The defenseman can play in up to nine games in the NHL before the team has to decide whether to keep him in New York or return him to the Otters.