Overview
- Matthew Schaefer, announced Wednesday on Good Morning America, received all 198 first-place votes from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
- The 18-year-old played all 82 games and totaled 59 points with 23 goals and 36 assists.
- His 23 goals tied Brian Leetch’s rookie record for a defenseman, his 59 points set a new mark for an 18-year-old blueliner, and he became the youngest defenseman to hit 20 goals and 50 points.
- Ivan Demidov finished second in the voting, with 120 second-place votes to Beckett Sennecke’s 41 and Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobeš’s 32.
- Schaefer is the youngest Calder winner and the sixth Islander to claim the award, signaling a cornerstone for a team that missed the playoffs as Peter DeBoer steps behind the bench.