Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer named unanimous Calder Trophy winner
Islanders star Matthew Schaefer has been named the Calder Trophy winner as the NHL’s top rookie for the 2026 season. Schaefer is the sixth Islander to receive the award, and he’s the league's youngest winner at 18 years and 233 days. He’s also the first unanimous winner since Teemu Selanne in 1992-93.
Schaefer was surprised with the trophy while surrounded by his family and Matt Martin ’s during a Wednesday morning segment on Good Morning America . The honors are certainly well earned. The youngster took the league by storm after being selected with the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, helping turn the tide around the Isles both on and off the ice.
While the team ended up falling just short of making their way back into the playoffs, Schaefer reached a number of league and franchise records throughout the year. His 23 goals tied Brian Leetch ’s single-season record for rookie blue-liners. He also became the youngest player to score in their NHL debut, the youngest to score in OT, and broke Phil Housley ’s record for the most points by a rookie defenseman (59).
Schaefer also finished third on the team with 111 blocked shots while averaging over 24 minutes TOI per night. He’ll look to build off this success during his sophomore season.