SCHAEFER AND SCHENN REACT TO BEING NAMED ALTERNATE CAPTAINS
Schaefer and Schenn joined Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock as Alternate Captains on Tuesday. Schaefer and Palmieri will serve as Alternate Captains during home games, while Pulock and Schenn will wear "A"s on the road.
The 19-year-old Schaefer is the youngest player in team history to officially wear a letter. He credited the veterans on the team with teaching him how to compose himself in the league during his rookie year - and for giving him the opportunity to have a voice in his first season.
"There are so many guys that can wear a letter," Schaefer said. "They've taught me a lot. They've shown me how it is to be a leader, be in the league for so long, and they helped me so much in my first year."
Head Coach Pete DeBoer said he didn't give a letter to a young player lightly, but that the reigning Calder Trophy winner had earned it.
"He's such a big part of what we're doing here, and is going to be going forward," DeBoer said. "I didn't take that decision lightly, but he earned it. For a young guy, he's exceptionally mature, he comes and does it right every day. The way he prepares, the way he handles himself, the way he practices, the way he leads on the ice. So I'm really happy for him."
Schaefer said he doesn't plan to change his personality because he's wearing a letter.
"You just have to be yourself," Schaefer said. "Guys like leaders, or people, for just being themselves... [Leaders] always have your back. They ride for their team, but they're just amazing people and they don't change themselves."
Schenn is a seasoned leader, serving as Captain in St. Louis from 2023-26 and as an Alternate Captain from 2020-23. So while he's still relatively new to the Islanders, he's a steady hand in the leadership group, and his Stanley Cup experience (in 2019 in St. Louis) was important for DeBoer.
"Obviously it's an honor because there are a lot of very good leaders in this room, guys that have played a lot of games, guys that lead in many different ways," Schenn said. "Leadership's a group thing. There are guys throughout the room that step up throughout the season in their own way. So my job, obviously, you just have to be yourself, lean on past experiences, and also help Bo."
DEBOER ON EKLUND MAKING THE ISLANDERS
DeBoer shed some light on Victor Eklund, as the 19-year-old made the Islanders opening night roster. DeBoer said he doesn't like to rush young players to the NHL, but that the young Swede earned it.
"He earned it," DeBoer said. "He came in and right from rookie games made an impact. In the exhibition games, while he didn't get on the the scoreboard, I thought he was impactful in all those games, on both ends of the rink. He's much better defensively and on the wall than people give him credit for. I know his size isn't big, but he's tenacious and he does all the things the right way. So he's earned the right to start with us.
