When Matthew Schaefer walks across the stage at the NHL Draft in Los Angeles, the 17-year-old defenseman from the Erie Otters will be carrying more than the hopes of his hockey future; he’ll be carrying memories that shaped him.
Matthew Schaefer’s NHL Draft Moment Comes with a Heavy Heart
More than a year ago, Schaefer lost his mother, Jennifer, to cancer. Her influence is still a daily presence in his life. “I love talking about my mom, because I talk about the happy memories instead of the sad memories,” Matthew shared. “She’s always with me in spirit. I know she has a front-row seat to every game.”
Matthew’s path to the top of the draft hasn’t been without heartbreak. After his mother passed, he also lost the mother of his billet family in a train accident, believed to be a suicide attempt. Then came an injury during the IIHF World Junior Championship that cut his season short.
“I carry myself to show people what my mom did for the person I am today.” ❤️
Top prospect Matthew Schaefer and his loved ones open up about the heartbreaking loss of both his mother and his billet mother, and how their memory continues to inspire his journey on and off the ice.… pic.twitter.com/sC4VmWojQp
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 23, 2025
Still, Schaefer never lost focus. He played just 17 games for Erie but recorded 22 points, enough to secure the top spot on NHL Central Scouting‘s list of North American skaters.
Schaefer’s Resilience Shines Beyond the Ice
Dan Marr of Central Scouting highlighted Schaefer’s maturity and consistency. “He’s one of the guys, I think teams can safely interpret what you see is what you get,” Marr said via John Wawrow of the Associated Press. “He’s just a breath of fresh air.”
His teammates see the same qualities. Otters forward Malcolm Spence called him the emotional center of the team. “He’s a guy that you wouldn’t even know what he’s gone through,” Spence said to Wawrow. “He wakes up every day with a smile on his face.”
Away from the ice, Schaefer has shown compassion as well. At the NHL Combine, he made time to visit a support group for grieving children in Buffalo, N.Y. He missed his high school graduation to be there. “There’s young kids that are going through tough times. A lot of people love to keep it in, and I want to try to put their minds at ease in any way,” he said.
With the Islanders holding the first pick, Schaefer may follow in the footsteps of Connor McDavid as a No. 1 pick from the Otters. But for him, the moment isn’t just about hockey.
“I just want to carry on her legacy and character and the person she was,” Schaefer said. “My mindset has changed a lot with everything. Just seeing what my mom went through, having a smile on her face with cancer kind of trying to bring her down, but she wouldn’t let it. She’s the strongest person I’ve ever known.”
