Pat Pickens
The whole hockey world expected Matthew Schaefer to win the Calder Trophy winner for 2026 NHL Rookie of the Year.
But how Schaefer learned of his honor was the surprise.
The New York Islanders rookie defenseman was named a unanimous winner of the 2026 Calder Trophy and found out of his honor when his brother and dad surprised him on the set of “GMA3” on Wednesday.
Schaefer tied the NHL record for single-season goals by a rookie defenseman (23) despite only turning 18 on Sept. 5. Schaefer finished second on the team in goals and points (59) while leading the team, and finishing fifth in the NHL in average time on ice per game (24:41).
Schaefer became the fifth Islanders player to win the Calder Trophy and the third Islanders defenseman to earn Rookie of the Year honors, joining Bryan Berard (1996) and Denis Potvin (1974). He is the first Islanders player to earn Calder Trophy honors since teammate Mathew Barzal in 2018.
Matthew Schaefer Won the Calder Trophy
Not only did Schaefer get selected first overall as a 17-year-old, but he made the team out of training camp, which added to the immense pressure on the native of Hamilton, Ontario, which is just 50 miles southwest of Toronto.
But after a season for the ages, Schaefer earned all 198 first-place votes among the members of the Pro Hockey Writers of Association. His 1,980 points topped Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens, Bennett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks and Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes.
“It’s definitely an honor to see so many great names on that trophy,” Schaefer told NHL.com. “It’s definitely a dream come true. Obviously, Demidov and Sennecke, they’re great players and they could have won it too. I think any of us could have won it, because we all had great years, especially them too. They’ve done great things for the league.
“It’s definitely an honor and it’s a privilege to have this trophy.”
Having his Family With Him was ‘Awesome’ for Matthew Schaefer
Matthew Schaefer, pictured with his dad Todd, mom Jennifer and brother Johnathan in 2023, won the Calder Trophy this year.Credit: MIKE COPPER/ERIE TIMES-NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK
Schaefer is extremely close with his family, especially after his mom Jennifer passed away of breast cancer at 56 in February 2024.
So having his dad, brother and girlfriend, plus Matt Martin and his wife Sydney and their daughters with whom Schaefer lived during his rookie season, felt huge for Schaefer.
“My two ‘sisters’,” Schaefer said, referencing Martin’s daughters Sydney and Winnie, while fighting back tears on “GMA3”. “Obviously, this year’s been very important to me. I wanted to do it for my mom and my family. It’s definitely an honor.”
His dad Todd and brother Johnathan traveled down from outside Toronto to be there for Schaefer too.
“It was awesome,” Schaefer said. “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].”
