New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie, the league announced Wednesday.
Schaefer, whom New York selected first overall in 2025, tallied 23 goals and 59 points this season while playing all 82 games. He led all rookies by averaging 24:41 and tied for the lead in goals.
His 23 goals tied Brian Leetch for the most ever by a rookie defenseman. Schaefer also set a new record for points by an 18-year-old rearguard.
The Hamilton native is the first rookie to unanimously win the Calder since Teemu Selanne in 1993. Schaefer received all 198 first-place votes, while Selanne was voted first on each of the 50 ballots submitted.
Schaefer's father, Todd, and brother, Johnathon, surprised him with the award on ABC's "GMA3" in New York. They were joined by former Islander Matt Martin, his wife, Sydney, and two daughters, Winnie and Alice, whom Schaefer lived with this season.
"In all of my years, I've gone through a lot. We've gone through a lot as a family," said Schaefer, whose mother, Jennifer, died from breast cancer in 2024. "My mom's helped me and my family so much with just everything. Obviously, we've had some tough losses, but it hasn't stopped us as a family. We've gotten a lot closer."
Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov and Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke were the other finalists.
