No. 1 Overall Pick Matthew Schaefer to Start Season With Islanders
New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer has made the team. The 18-year-old had his rookie moment throughout preseason, but there's no question his best development path is at the NHL level.
Video Transcript
Honestly, I can't say enough good things about Matty Schafer.
Like he is, we know what he is on the ice, even though it was an abbreviated draft eligible season, just a legitimately wonderful human.
Like, I got to spend time with him throughout the year last year, even going back to his draft minus one of the 182, and he was humble, gracious, and thoughtful.
And you know, I saw him probably like an hour after he broke his collarbone at the World Juniors, just in the bowels of the rink there in Ottawa.
And you know, he still managed to be like, you know what, it's all good.
I'll be back.
Like, he wasn't down, he wasn't broken.
I was trying to imagine myself in that situation.
I'd be heartbroken, right?
Like your chance to win gold, your draft eligible season, like everything's kind of on the line there and you know, he still managed to find a positive spin on it too.
So I think that this is not only going to be a highly impactful player for, you know, hopefully a decade plus on the island, um, but like someone that you can really build your organization around and someone that maybe could have their number in the rafters one day and do great charity work in the community and just that all-encompassing person that you desire.
And that's why I do think it was a no-brainer at the top for the house.
