New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer has been named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, an annual honor recognizing the league's top six rookies, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Schaefer won the Calder Memorial Trophy unanimously, receiving all 198 first-place votes. Schaefer, 18, had a record-breaking rookie season with 59 points (23G, 36A) in 82 games. He tied Brian Leetch’s record for the most goals by a rookie defenseman in a single season. Schaefer also set league records for the most points by an 18-year-old defenseman, average time on ice by an 18-year-old skater (24:41 TOI) and the most overtime points (4) by a teenage defenseman.
Schaefer set Islanders records for the most goals, points, power-play goals, overtime goals and game-winning goals by a rookie defenseman in a single season. Schaefer became the fifth player in franchise history to earn NHL All-Rookie Team honors, joining David Volek (1989), John Tavares (2010), Michael Grabner (2011) and Mathew Barzal (2018).
The other rookies named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, comprised of one goaltender, two defensemen, and three forwards, are goaltender Jakub Dobes (Montreal Canadiens), defensemen Alexander Nikishin (Carolina Hurricanes), forward Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues) and Calder Memorial Trophy nominees Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens) and Beckette Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks).
