MATTHEW SCHAEFER NAMED CALDER TROPHY FINALIST May 05, 2026 - NHL.com

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer has been named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL's top rookie. Schaefer joins Ivan Demidov and Beckett Sennecke as finalists after a historic debut season — leading all rookies in ice time per game (24:41), tying for the rookie lead in goals (23), and finishing third in points (59) across all 82 games.

The 18-year-old set the NHL record for points by an 18-year-old defenseman and tied the single-season record for most goals by a rookie defenseman, cementing himself as one of the most impactful first-year blueliners in league history. A Schaefer win would make him the first Islanders player to claim the award since Mathew Barzal in 2017-18.

Source: NHL.com