The New York Islanders Matthew Schaefer had a phenomenal rookie campaign in the NHL this past season as he recorded 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points in 82 games as just an 18-year old defenseman.
Schaefer was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy for his efforts yesterday as he beat out fellow nominees Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens and Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks for the award. He is the first Islander to win the Calder since his teammate Mathew Barzal took home the honors in 2018.
History was made with Schaefer’s Calder win as he set an unprecedented mark that had not been seen in over 30 years.
Matthew Schaefer is the First Unanimous Calder Winner Since Teemu Selanne
The voting for Calder was overwhelmingly in Schaefer’s favor as he received every single first place ballet in the bracket with 198 votes to his name. He is the first unanimous winner of the Calder since Teemu Selanne in the 1993 season.
Selanne’s rookie year is arguably the most impressive in the history of the league. He amassed 76 goals and 56 assists for 132 points in 84 games for his Winnipeg Jets team in what was a record setting year one season.
For Schaefer to be the first player since Selanne to receive that level of support from the voters is a testament to how impressive his season was. It is rare to see a teenage defenseman break into the NHL and have the immediate star level impact that Schaefer had. Defenseman typically take a longer period of time to develop; that has not been the case for him. Schaefer was not only the best rookie defenseman; he was one of the premier defenders in the entire league this year. There is no doubt he will be a Norris trophy contender soon.
This also makes it consecutive years that a defenseman has won the Calder, following Lane Hutson in 2025. This is the first time that has happened since 1963 and 1964 (Kent Douglas and Jacques Laperriere).
The Future is Bright for the New York Islanders
The Islanders future took a drastic positive turn when they won the 2025 NHL draft lottery with the tenth best odds, giving them the chance to select Schaefer with the first overall pick.
New York took advantage of this fortunate opportunity and it has lifted their prospects moving forward for the better. Schaefer could not have arrived at a more convenient time for this franchise that had struggled to find a clear direction prior to his arrival. The Islanders have been an average team for years. They have not been good enough to be a Stanley Cup hopeful, but they have not been a basement dwelling rebuilding team either.
With Schaefer now a member of the organization, the prospects are now clear. This is a team with postseason aspirations; they narrowly missed out this past year with 91 points in the standings.
The goal in the 26-27 season for this squad has to be making a playoff push. Led by Schaefer, they have the talent to get the job done and get back in the postseason mix.
Matthew Schaefer Makes History With Calder Trophy Win