Matthew Schaefer seemingly never seems to run out of ways to wow fans and analysts alike. Already a dominant 18-year-old rookie defenseman for the New York Islanders, he set a new record on Friday night in a 3-2 regulation loss to the Los Angeles Kings at UBS Arena.
Schaefer logged a massive 29:24 of ice time—breaking the NHL record for the most time on ice in a single game by any 18-year-old.
This TOI eclipses the previous mark of 29:15 set by Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres) on December 4, 2018. It was in that game against Toronto (which went to OT), where Dahlin made his mark as a rookie, proving he had the goods to be one of the better defensemen in the league. That Schaefer did this in a regulation game, no overtime, is even more impressive.
He basically played half the game.
How Rare Is This?
This isn’t anything new for Schaefer. While the total itself is a new record, he’s used to playing big minutes. He also had 29:01 just a week earlier against San Jose (that one went to OT).
However, among NHL defensemen, this is fairly rare. The all-time teenage record (including 19-year-olds) is higher (Jay Bouwmeester at 30:57), but only a handful of teens have ever cracked 30 minutes, and Schaefer’s already in elite company with multiple 29+ minute games.
The Islanders know they have a star, and head coach Patrick Roy continues to trust him heavily in all situations. He’s averaging over 24 minutes per game overall in his rookie campaign. If he’s not in the conversation for the Norris, it could come as a surprise. If he doesn’t win the Calder, someone should call the cops.
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