Islanders' Matthew Schaefer sets absurd NHL record that may never be matched
There's never been a guy quite like this.
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer sets absurd NHL record that may never be matched originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Matthew Schaefer is in uncharted territory.
The New York Islanders ' defenseman, who was the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has moved beyond phenom status. This guy is as close as a teenager can get to a hockey superstar. He won't even turn 19 until September.
He's playing his entire rookie season at 18 years of age. And on Tuesday night, he did something nearly unfathomable. Schaefer was on the ice for 31 minutes and 59 seconds, more than half the game.
That's the most ice time by a teenager in NHL history -- with the caveat that the stat began being tracked in the 1990s. Almost as impressive, the Islanders outscored their opponent 2-0 when Schaefer was on the ice, and outdid them in scoring chances by an absurd 36-9 margin when Schaefer played. MORE: Is a Connor McDavid-Auston Matthews trade feasible?