Islanders star Matthew Schaefer’s emotional reaction to winning Calder Trophy

Matthew Schaefer has completely changed the trajectory of the New York Islanders’ franchise after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft — and he unanimously won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie on Wednesday.

Schaefer was surprised by his father Todd and brother Johnathon on the set of ABC’s ‘GMA3’ in New York, per NHL.com’s Brian Compton.

“We’ve got a lot of good family,” Schaefer said. “My mom’s helped me and my family so much with everything; obviously we’ve had some tough losses, but it hasn’t stopped us as a family. We’ve gotten a lot closer. For you guys to be here, it means a lot. This year was super important to me.

“I wanted to do it for my mom and my family. It’s definitely an honor.”

Schaefer lost his mother Jennifer to breast cancer in 2024. He lived with teammate Matt Martin this season, along with Martin’s wife and four children. Martin’s two daughters were in attendance to present him with the trophy.

“It was awesome,” Schaefer continued. “I definitely wasn’t expecting this. It was so cool for my dad and brother and all of them to be coming down (from Canada). It was awesome. Obviously, to have the Martins here and things like that, it was a dream come true.”

The moment Matthew Schaefer won the Calder Memorial Trophy. #Isles

Special moment for Matthew Schaefer, his family who was in attendance to celebrate this moment with him and everyone on Long Island.

: @GMA pic.twitter.com/SytKEXW7nS

— Isles Rumor (@IslesRumor) May 13, 2026

Schaefer is the sixth Islanders player to win the Calder, and first since Mathew Barzal took home the hardware in 2017-18. He was absolutely terrific in 2025-26, leading all rookies with 23 goals and finishing with 59 points over a full 82-game slate.

He was first among rookies in time on ice per game (24:41), power-play goals (eight), power-play points (18), overtime goals (two), game-winning goals (four) and shots on goal (222), per Compton.

Schaefer, who is somehow still only 18, also set multiple records. He’s the youngest Calder Trophy winner in NHL history, and he tied the single-season NHL record for most goals by a rookie defenseman.

“It’s definitely an honor to see so many great names on that trophy,” Schaefer said, per Compton. “It’s a dream come true. It’s definitely an honor and it’s a privilege to have this trophy.”

Schaefer was the obvious choice as the league’s best rookie, and he will be a fixture on the blue line in Long Island for years to come.

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