NEW YORK — Defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders is the 2025-26 recipient of the Calder Memorial Trophy, presented “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Schaefer was surprised with the trophy – by his father, Todd, brother, Johnny, as well as Islanders alumnus Matt Martin and his two daughters – during an interview on “Good Morning America.”
The No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft is the sixth player in Islanders history to capture the Calder Trophy and the first since Mathew Barzal in 2017-18. At 18 years, 223 days on the final day of the regular season, Schaefer is the youngest Calder Trophy winner in NHL history – one day younger than Nathan MacKinnon in 2013-14 (18 years, 224 days w/ COL).
As the first choice on all 198 ballots, Schaefer also is the first unanimous Calder Trophy recipient since Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets received first-place votes on all 50 ballots cast after his historic 76-goal season in 1992-93.
Schaefer rewrote the League’s record book for production by an 18-year-old defenseman with 23‑36—59 in 82 games. Among his lengthy list of accomplishments, Schaefer became the youngest blueliner in NHL history to register a point in his League debut, the youngest player (at any position) in NHL history to score an overtime goal and the first defenseman in more than 90 years to lead rookies (outright or tied) in goals. His 23 goals , while his goal and point totals surpassed Phil Housley (17-40—57 in 1982-83 w/ BUF) for the most by an 18-year-old defenseman. Schaefer, who placed fifth among rookies in plus/minus (+13), achieved these feats while topping New York and all NHL rookies with 2,023:59 of total time on ice – more than 500 minutes ahead of the next-closest rookie in 2025-26.
