NEW YORK — An 18-year-old rookie for the New York Islanders has reached a historic milestone, equaling the NHL’s all-time record for goals scored by a first-year defenseman. Matthew Schaefer found the back of the net for the 23rd time this season during Thursday night’s game, matching the benchmark established by Hall of Fame player Brian Leetch.
The record-equaling score occurred 9 minutes and 39 seconds into the second period, putting the Islanders ahead 3-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in what became a 5-3 victory for New York. Schaefer managed to slip the puck between the legs of goalie Artur Akhtyamov after receiving a feed from Tony DeAngelo.
When asked about being compared to Leetch, Schaefer expressed amazement at the achievement. “It’s crazy. You don’t really think about that stuff,” Schaefer said. “But obviously when it gets brought up it’s crazy to think. It’s definitely an honor to see some of those guys and what they’ve done.”
The teenage defenseman is putting together one of the most impressive debut campaigns ever seen from someone playing his position in professional hockey. Currently sitting second on his team’s scoring chart with 59 points, Schaefer has demonstrated exceptional offensive skills from the defensive zone.
Thursday’s tally marked his first goal since a March 21 matchup against Montreal, breaking a recent scoring slump while adding yet another achievement to his already impressive first-year statistics.
New Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer was clearly impressed after witnessing Schaefer’s performance in person for the first time. “Watching him from the bench, live, it’s just, wow, what a player,” DeBoer said. “I watched him a lot on video as we were scouting for the Olympics. To see him live like that, at the age he’s at, and how dynamic he is, both ends of the rink, defensively, in particular. I know the offensive stuff, but for a young player how defensively aware he is and how much he works at the defensive piece of the game too. He’s a really, really special player.”
Chosen as the top pick in last year’s draft, Schaefer joined the professional ranks after dealing with injuries during his final junior hockey season, yet quickly established himself as an impact player. He became the youngest defenseman in league history to register a point in his first NHL appearance and has continued breaking age-related records throughout the season.
Schaefer now sits just one goal away from surpassing Leetch, who established the current record during the 1988-89 season and went on to capture the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. Schaefer is widely considered the leading candidate for this year’s same award.
