Islanders' Matthew Schaefer Sets Another Absurd NHL Record

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 ,

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer celebrates goal during 2026 game.

At some point you run out of ways to say a kid is doing something no one has ever done before. 

Tuesday night in New York, Matthew Schaefer played an absurd 31 minutes and 59 seconds against the Chicago Blackhawks, which is the most ice time ever logged by a teenager in NHL history. 

The New York Islanders lost 4-3, fell out of a playoff spot, and are now tied with the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card in the East. 

None of that changes what Schaefer did. 

The 18-year-old was out there for more than half the game and the Islanders outscored 2-0 and held a 36-9 advantage in scoring chances while he was on the ice.

Matthew Schaefer NHL Ice Time Record

Schaefer is an incredible player, but this wasn't Patrick Roy playing his 18-year-old defenseman for over half of the game for no reason. 

The Islanders were in a tough spot after Tony DeAngelo was forced out of the game 12 minutes in with a lower-body injury.

Add in a couple of Adam Pelech penalties and Roy was basically out of guys he could trust on the back end last night.  

According to Natural Stat Trick, Schaefer averaged over a minute per shift. This season, the 6-foot-2 defenseman has averaged 24:26 per night. That's 13th among all players this season, which is wild for a 18-year-old rookie defenseman.

Connor Bedard, who faced Schaefer for the first time Tuesday, put it simply before the game: "I don't know how excited I am to be chasing him around. He can fly." 

What Matthew Schaefer's Season Means for the Islanders' Playoff Push

Schaefer now has 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points in 72 games. 

That's second among all rookie defensemen in goals, 11th among all NHL blueliners in points, and third in overall rookie scoring. That's for an 18-year-old who won't turn 19 until September and played just 17 OHL games before this season. 

Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill, watching from the other bench, said: "This doesn't look like a flash in the pan. He looks like an everyday NHL player with a really high ceiling." Bedard went further, calling Schaefer one of the faces of the game. 

The Islanders are now tied with Ottawa, but the Senators hold the tiebreaker in both games played and regulation wins, and New York is running out of runway. 

Schaefer can set every record in the book, but he won't care if they don't get wins. The Dallas Stars come to UBS Arena on Thursday. Don't be surprised if Schaefer is out there for 30 minutes again. 

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images 

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