Lee welcomes Schaefer to help cancer charity effort with Islanders

Since 2016, New York Islanders captain Anders Lee has partnered with Jam Kancer in the Kan to raise more than $3.2 million for children in the local community who are affected by cancer. This year takes on an added significance with Matthew Schaefer now part of the organization.

The No.1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft lost his mother to breast cancer in February 2024, just a few months after losing his billet mom in an apparent suicide in 2023. Since joining the Islanders on June 27, the defenseman has been outspoken about wanting to support local charities and fundraisers.

“It's amazing. I think he fits right into who we are as Islanders,” Lee said ahead of his fundraiser, which takes place on Saturday at Northwell Ice Center, the Islanders' practice facility in East Meadow, New York. “I think this organization, and the players before us and the ones here now, have all taken initiatives in their own way to make an impact on our community, and it's part of who we are. I think it's part of what it means to be an Islander, and what makes this such a special place to play.

“But yeah, Schaefer coming in and obviously having a lot of spots where he can put his focus, I think he's going to be a special kind of breed coming into this, and I'm excited to get on the ice with him."

Alongside Schaefer and the rest of his Islanders teammates, Lee will hit the outdoor dek hockey rink outside of Northwell from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. to play Kan Jam with cancer patients and their families.

"It's a fun way to kick off the season, get all the boys together, hang out with some kids and some families, enjoy an afternoon, and take their mind off of the battle that they're going through as a group and put some smile on some faces,” Lee said. “It's fun to do that as a team. I think it's been a fun little way to kick things off before we get into camp and everything, get the boys together and do some good in the community.”

This event has turned into the unofficial start of the season, with most, if not the entire team, in attendance, including the newcomers. The transition from Lou Lamoriello to general manager Mathieu Darche, the addition of free agent forwards Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov, and drafting Schaefer are all reasons for optimism after the Islanders missed the playoffs in 2024-25.

"Every time you come off a summer, you're pumped to get back to the rink and get in front of the guys again,” Lee said. “We've been skating and whatnot together this past week, and the juices are flowing. It's an exciting time of the year.

“As a team, we have a lot to look forward to, getting to work together, some new faces, absolutely, and putting this all together. I think those opportunities and the excitement around it, and the juice from coming out of nowhere and getting the first overall pick -- obviously, some moves in the summer too -- that just adds to all of it. It's a new season. It's a new slate and something to build on and to start something that can continue to grow.

“And I think that opportunity every year is always an exciting one. But I think you can kind of sense it a little bit from the fan base that they're getting excited for what's coming, and we are, too, as players. Let's go after this thing and have a great camp, prepare ourselves for a great season, and put it together."