Matthew Schaefer just made NHL history, and he’s barely old enough to vote.
The 18-year-old New York Islanders defenseman hit the 50-point mark Thursday night, becoming the youngest defenseman ever to reach that milestone in NHL history.
Schaefer notched his 21st goal of the season against the Ottawa Senators in the first period. Let that sink in – 21 goals from a rookie defenseman.
Getting 50 points in a season is tough for any NHL defenseman. It’s the kind of number usually reserved for the elite players at the position, the ones who’ve been in the league for years.
But Schaefer? He’s doing it straight out of junior hockey, in his first year after being drafted.
He’s not just leading the rookie race – he’s running away with it. The young defenseman is making the kind of impact that has veteran players shaking their heads in disbelief.
“What he’s doing at 18 is pretty unreal,” says Islanders captain Anders Lee. “Most of us were still trying to figure out which end of the stick to hold at that age.”
Schaefer’s been breaking records all season, but this one feels different. Fifty points from the blue line is the kind of achievement that turns heads across the league.
And here’s the scary part for the rest of the NHL: he’s just getting started.
With a quarter of the season still to go, there’s no telling what other records this teenage phenom might break before he’s done. And remember – he can’t even celebrate with a beer in the U.S. for another three years.
