Skeptics, who figured Schaefer's debut for a fluke, were immediately stymied. Just two nights later, the rookie scored his first goal against the Washington Capitals, and within weeks was named NHL Rookie of the Month for October. On Nov. 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, he became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record a multigoal game.
By the Christmas break, Schaefer had 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists), tied with captain Anders Lee for third on the Islanders. His plus-7 also ranked third on the team.
Schaefer's nearly three months of play had helped lift New York (21-13-4) into a madcap Metropolitan Division race. What's more, he is quarterbacking its top power-play unit and leads the Islanders in time on ice per game (23:45), including a game-high 27:03 in a 2-0 win against the New York Rangers at UBS Arena on Saturday.
"With the enormous boost 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer has provided, there's reason to believe that the Islanders will remain in the playoff race,” NHL.com managing editor Brian Compton wrote last week.
Similar raves were heard 89 years ago after the Chicago Black Hawks promoted 18-year-old defenseman Bill Gadsby from the Junior Edmonton Canadiens. Like Schaefer, Gadsby also survived teenage trauma. On Oct. 3, 1939, Gadsby and his mother departed Liverpool, England, for Canada at the outbreak of World War II. They were passengers on the steamship Athlenia, which was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine.
"It was just a couple of days after war had broken out," Gadsby later told me. "More than a hundred people who were on the ship died, but my mom and I were saved and returned to Calgary. By my mid-teens, I was deep into hockey, did well in juniors and got invited to the Chicago camp in 1946 and made the Black Hawks roster."
Over 48 NHL games, the rookie blueliner had 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) and felt that he belonged. Within six years, Gadsby was named captain of the Hawks in a career that would span 20 years. That included 1,248 regular-season NHL games and 67 playoff games with the Black Hawks, Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.
In an interview with Chuck O'Donnell in "The Game I'll Never Forget," Bill pinpointed a game on Feb. 16, 1947, at Olympia Stadium in Detroit that was his career turning point.
Gadsby said, "We were tied 2-2 late in the third when I got sent out with forwards Max and Doug Bentley. Because of penalties, it was a 3-on-3 situation that started with Max and Doug passing the puck around until they saw I was free. My shot beat (goalie) Harry Lumley and won the game with only two seconds left on the clock!"
Then, a pause before he said, "I attribute my long career to that goal."
All signs suggest that Schaefer has a long career ahead of him. He has already become a Long Island folk hero for his skill, warm personality and modest demeanor.
"My teammates have helped me every step of the way," Schaefer said, "But it doesn't stop here. Every day I learn from all the older guys."
How far the Islanders go from here will in no small part depend on how Schaefer can sustain his first half-season of excellence in the homestretch. At his current success rate, his reach should exceed his grasp -- and he certainly is reaching high, just as Bill Gadsby did 79 years ago.
"I want to be the best version of myself," Schaefer concluded. "No one's perfect, but I strive to be perfect."
NHL.com independent correspondent Stefen Rosner contributed to this story
