New York Islanders star defenseman Matthew Schaefer was named the winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy, given annually to the NHL’s top rookie, on Wednesday afternoon.Schaefer was making an appearance on Good Morning America when his father, siblings, and former Islanders forward Matt Martin, who hosted Schaefer throughout his rookie season, surprised him with the news. The 18-year-old was subsequently presented with the Calder Trophy.“We’ve gone through a lot as a family,” Schaefer said, referring to the loss of his mother after a battle with cancer. “My mom’s helped me and my family so much with everything. We’ve had some tough losses, but that hasn’t stopped us as a family. We’ve gotten a lot closer… This means a lot… This year was super important to me… I’m super honored to win this.”Schaefer, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025NHLDraft, lived up to the hype in his first year with the Islanders. He tied the league record for most goals by a rookie defenseman with 23 — originally set by Brian Leetch in 1988-89 — to go with 36 assists for 59 total points.Throughout his barnstorming campaign, he earned the plaudits of every single spectator, ranging from his coaches and teammates to the opposition. A puck-moving blue liner with goal-scoring and playmaking skills to pair with a resolute defensive game, he earned comparisons to the likes of Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar and Hall of Famer Paul Coffey.“100% [I exceeded my expectations]. Honestly, at the start of the season, I didn’t know if I was going to be up or down,” Schaefer said during exit interviews last month. “For me, I wanted to learn so much from everyone and keep bettering my ability in each and every way, and just get better each day. And I think from the coaches to the players, they’ve helped me so much with that. But coming in, I didn’t think I was gonna start off like that, or anything like that. But my teammates helped me so much, and I always say my teammates, but they mean a lot to me. It’s crazy to think that I’m playing in the NHL, and you don’t get enough time to think about it, because you’re just so dialed in. You’re so locked in. You’re playing games almost every other day. So, yeah, it’s crazy.”CloseGet amNY in your inbox!News, events, culture and more — delivered to you.Thank you for subscribing!He becomes the sixth Islander to win the award, joining an exclusive list featuring Denis Potvin (1974), Bryan Trottier (1976), Mike Bossy (1978), Bryan Berard (1997), and Mathew Barzal (2018).For more on Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders, visitAMNY.com

Schaefer was making an appearance on Good Morning America when his father, siblings, and former Islanders forward Matt Martin, who hosted Schaefer throughout his rookie season, surprised him with the news. The 18-year-old was subsequently presented with the Calder Trophy.

“We’ve gone through a lot as a family,” Schaefer said, referring to the loss of his mother after a battle with cancer. “My mom’s helped me and my family so much with everything. We’ve had some tough losses, but that hasn’t stopped us as a family. We’ve gotten a lot closer… This means a lot… This year was super important to me… I’m super honored to win this.”

Schaefer, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025NHLDraft, lived up to the hype in his first year with the Islanders. He tied the league record for most goals by a rookie defenseman with 23 — originally set by Brian Leetch in 1988-89 — to go with 36 assists for 59 total points.

Throughout his barnstorming campaign, he earned the plaudits of every single spectator, ranging from his coaches and teammates to the opposition. A puck-moving blue liner with goal-scoring and playmaking skills to pair with a resolute defensive game, he earned comparisons to the likes of Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar and Hall of Famer Paul Coffey.

“100% [I exceeded my expectations]. Honestly, at the start of the season, I didn’t know if I was going to be up or down,” Schaefer said during exit interviews last month. “For me, I wanted to learn so much from everyone and keep bettering my ability in each and every way, and just get better each day. And I think from the coaches to the players, they’ve helped me so much with that. But coming in, I didn’t think I was gonna start off like that, or anything like that. But my teammates helped me so much, and I always say my teammates, but they mean a lot to me. It’s crazy to think that I’m playing in the NHL, and you don’t get enough time to think about it, because you’re just so dialed in. You’re so locked in. You’re playing games almost every other day. So, yeah, it’s crazy.”

He becomes the sixth Islander to win the award, joining an exclusive list featuring Denis Potvin (1974), Bryan Trottier (1976), Mike Bossy (1978), Bryan Berard (1997), and Mathew Barzal (2018).For more on Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders, visitAMNY.com

Joe Pantorno has been the executive sports editor of amNewYork since 2020. He covers the New York Mets and is a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). He is also a member of the Pro Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) and has covered the New York Islanders for nearly a decade. His previous stops include Bleacher Report and Metro New York, while his work has been featured in the New York Post, Newsday, and Yahoo! Sports.

Source: LI Press