NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� of the New York Islanders tied the NHL record for goals by a rookie defenseman, scoring his 23rd of the season Thursday night to match Hall of Famer Brian Leetch’s mark.
Schaefer’s record-tying goal came at 9:39 of the second period and gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs as Schaefer beat goaltender Artur Akhtyamov following a pass from Tony DeAngelo.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy. You don鈥檛 really think about that stuff,鈥� Schaefer said when asked how it feels to be mentioned alongside Leetch. 鈥淏ut obviously when it gets brought up it鈥檚 crazy to think. It鈥檚 definitely an honor to see some of those guys and what they鈥檝e done.鈥�
Schaefer, 18, continues to deliver one of the most remarkable rookie seasons by a player at his position in league history. He ranks second on the Islanders with 59 points, showcasing elite offensive ability from the blue line.
The goal was his first since ending a brief drought while adding another milestone to his growing resume.
鈥淲atching him from the bench, live, it鈥檚 just, wow, what a player,鈥� Peter DeBoer said of Schaefer after his first game as the Islanders’ coach. 鈥淚 watched him a lot on video as we were scouting for the Olympics. To see him live like that, at the age he鈥檚 at, and how dynamic he is, both ends of the rink, defensively, in particular. I know the offensive stuff, but for a young player how defensively aware he is and how much he works at the defensive piece of the game too. He鈥檚 a really, really special player.鈥�
last year, Schaefer entered the league following an injury-shortened junior season but quickly made an impact. He became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record a point in his debut and has since set multiple age-based records.
He’s now one away from passing Leetch, who set the record in 1988-89 and won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Schaefer is the front-runner for the same honor.
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