#matthew-schaefer

#matthew-schaefer

After 25 years in Los Angeles, Cheeseman said the opportunity to return east and help shape the future of the New York Islanders was irresistible. "The opportunity to come back and partner with Malkin and John Collins and John Ledecky and the great ownership group here to bring a cutback to Long Island is really the intriguing piece to me," Cheeseman said on Hockey Night in New York with Sean Cuthbert and Arthur Staple. "I like building. I like building opportunities."

It means a lot. It's a very historical franchise and you take a lot of pride in putting on the jersey every day. So to be in the same sentence as some of the greats that have come before us, it means a lot. It's extremely special. I'm very humbled and I couldn't do it without the great group of guys around me. It just means a lot.

Per NHL PR, with eight goals and 17 points in his first 25 NHL games, Schaefer has now done something no teenage defenseman had ever done before: he became the first in league history to score eight goals through his first 25 career games, breaking a tie with Orr, who had seven goals in his first 25. When you eclipse one of the greatest defensemen ever, people take notice.

I don't think Schaefer's going, right? I just don't think he's going. If you look at the defense from the 4 Nations, I think Team Canada is really happy with a lot of those guys that went.

After the win -- the Bruins' fourth straight victory -- Zadorov said he felt compelled to up the energy inside UBS Arena. "We needed to create our own energy because the crowd was sleeping tonight a little bit," Zadorov said. "So I felt like we had to go out there and create our own energy, get everybody going on the bench, get excited."

"There's going to be nights where guys are coming after you," Schaefer said. "There's always going to be obstacles that come. It's fun. We would have liked to get the win. At least we got the point."

The San Jose Sharks take the team's first East Coast road trip of the season, and the first stop is a showdown between the top two picks of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The Sharks will face the New York Islanders on Long Island this afternoon, with Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa both expected to play. Of the two, Schaefer is the standout. He is the youngest defenseman to open his career with a five-game point streak.

I just feel comfortable, the winger, who has a goal and three assists, said following the team's practice on Monday. I feel like I'm not thinking anymore on the ice, just playing my game.

Schaefer has been open about the loss of his mother to cancer, and how speaking about it rather than burying it has helped him heal. With his rise to the No. 1 pick and the attention that comes with it, he has chosen to use that platform. He has made it a priority to meet young kids who have gone through a similar loss - not for a camera, not as a charity date on a calendar, but because he understands the scar.