Schaefer will have late mom on his mind when he's chosen in 2025 NHL Draft

LOS ANGELES -- Matthew Schaefer anticipates the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft being the most emotional night of his life.

Emotional because he'll be thinking of his mom every step of the way. The 17-year-old defenseman of Erie of the Ontario Hockey League lost his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer in February 2024, two months after his billet mother, Emily Matson, died in an apparent suicide.

"I think my mom's going to go right into my head when I get picked because, you know, I wish she could be here," Schaefer said during a top prospect availability on Thursday. "So, yeah, there's definitely going to be a lot of things that play a part in it, but it's more happy tears than anything."

Schaefer will find out his future team during the first round at L.A. Live's Peacock Theatre on Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 will be Saturday (Noon ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1).

Schaefer (6-foot-2, 186 pounds) was one of eight prospects to speak with the media here on the ION Rooftop Patio at the JW Marriott. The projected No. 1 pick in the draft was joined by defenseman Radim Mrtka of Seattle of the Western Hockey League and forwards Michael Misa of Saginaw (OHL), James Hagens of Boston College (NCAA), Porter Martone of Brampton (OHL), Caleb Desnoyers of Moncton of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund of Djurgarden in Sweden.

The first team to pick will be the New York Islanders, who won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery despite a 3.5 percent chance. They will pick first for the fifth time and the first since selecting center John Tavares in the 2009 NHL Draft.

"You come down here and it feels real," Schaefer said. "The biggest thing I'm looking forward to is just hearing your name called and seeing all your friends' names get called. You play with them growing up, you win tournaments, you play against them, you hit each other, you block their shot ... you remember a lot. To see a lot of your friends and yourself get drafted will be pretty cool, but the work only starts."

The left-handed shot will have approximately 30 family members and friends attending the draft.

Hagens (5-10, 186), of Hauppauge, New York, anticipates about 50 family members and friends cheering for him on Friday. He hopes to become the highest-picked player in NHL Draft history born on Long Island -- defenseman Mike Komisarek (West Islip, New York) went No. 7 to the Montreal Canadiens in the 2001 NHL Draft.

"I have no question where I think I should (be drafted)," Hagens said. "It's just a competitive nature; just my mindset. I just want to be at a spot that wants me, so whether that's No. 1 or any number, it'll be that and then you step on the ice. That's when you show you should have been first overall."

Hagens was third for Boston College with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games skating as the No. 1 center.

"I'm looking forward to finding out what team I'm going to ... it's obviously something that you have no idea until they call your name," he said. "That's definitely the most exciting thing right now. Either that or standing up and hugging your parents."

The San Jose Sharks (No. 2), Chicago Blackhawks (No. 3), Utah Mammoth (4), Nashville Predators (5), Philadelphia Flyers (6), Boston Bruins (7), Seattle Kraken (8), Buffalo Sabres (9) and Anaheim Ducks (10) round out the top 10 picks.

Frondell (6-1, 204), a center, had 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 29 games with Djurgarden in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second division. Eklund (5-11, 169), a right wing and the brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund, had 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 42 games.

"I think if San Jose picks me, Victor will be disappointed because he wants to play with his brother," Frondell said with a grin. "But if I went No. 2, that's pretty high and it would be really cool."

Eklund said, "(William) told me he's more nervous than I am, I think. He's very excited for what's coming, and so am I."

Martone (6-3, 204), a power forward, led Brampton with 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) in 57 games as captain this season. He'll have between 20-30 family members and friends attending the draft.

"I don't really know if there's too much nerves; more excitement," Martone said. "At the end of the day, I've done everything I could. Now it's just up to whatever team does end up picking you. You're going to be where your feet are."

Misa (6-1, 182) is the first player in Saginaw history to win the Eddie Powers Trophy as the top scorer in the OHL, finishing the regular season with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) as captain in 65 games.

"I think I had the year to be able to go No. 1," Misa said. "It's what teams are deciding. Coming out of this year, I really had no regrets with how I performed. It's not up to me at this point."

Desnoyers (6-1, 182) tied for fifth in QMJHL scoring with 84 points (35 goals, 49 assists) in 56 games. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect Elliot Desnoyers, taken in the fifth round (No. 135) in the 2020 NHL Draft.

"It's a totally different situation," the younger Desnoyers said. "Yes, I can get the most out of what he went through. But at the end of the day, he had to wait until the fifth round and hopefully, I won't have to wait until there. Everything that he told me, I'm getting the most out of it."

Mrtka (6-6, 218) had 35 points (three goals, 32 assists) in 43 games in his first season in North America after playing the first part of 2024-25 in Czechia.

"It's my second time in Los Angeles, so it's nice to be here," Mrtka said. "I think the one prospect who I didn't know a lot about who has surprised me is Frondell. He's a really great guy. He talks with everybody."

NHL.com deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman contributed to this report