Islanders' Matthew Schaefer Wins Calder at 18, Sweeping All 198 First-Place Votes
Updated
Updated · Newsday · May 13
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer Wins Calder at 18, Sweeping All 198 First-Place Votes
19 articles · Updated · Newsday · May 13
Matthew Schaefer, 18 years and 223 days old, was revealed as the Calder Trophy winner in a surprise ABC "GMA3" segment, becoming the NHL's youngest rookie of the year.
All 198 first-place votes went to the Islanders defenseman, making him the first unanimous Calder recipient since Teemu Selanne in 1993; Ivan Demidov was second and Beckett Sennecke third.
Schaefer earned the award after posting 23 goals and 36 assists in 82 games, leading New York in average ice time at 24:41 and tying Brian Leetch's rookie-defenseman goals record.
The No. 1 pick arrived after the Islanders won the 2024 draft lottery with just a 3.5% chance, and he is now the franchise's sixth Calder winner and third defenseman to claim it.
Days before the award, Schaefer and Northwell Health announced a $150,000 child support center honoring his late mother, extending a rookie season in which he also made hospital visits a regular practice.
Is Matthew Schaefer's debut the single greatest rookie season by a defenseman in NHL history?
He broke records as a rookie, but can this 18-year-old superstar now lead the Islanders to a Stanley Cup?
How did an 18-year-old handle record-breaking pressure while grieving to produce such a historic season?