Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer reveals wholesome Olympic break gig

“While the older Isles players spent the Olympic break in places like Mexico, Disney World & Arizona, Matthew Schaefer told me he went home, saw family, and spent some time coaching youth hockey,” Kevin Maher of News 12 reported.

Schaefer said of his coaching gig, “Yeah, it’s definitely crazy. Just from before the draft to now, you get noticed a lot more. It’s funny, the kids get so excited even though it’s just like, ‘I’m the same age as you guys.’ But yeah, it’s pretty funny when you can just coach some kids’ games and be on the bench.”

Schaefer went on to say he was on the bench for warmups, supporting a team local to him in Ontario.

When the Islanders took Schaefer first overall back in June, he was a little bit of an unknown because of a pre-draft injury. But since joining the team, he has been a rookie superstar for New York. He hit the Olympic break with 39 points in 58 games while playing over 24 minutes a night as a defenseman.

Schaefer was considered for Team Canada at just 18 years old, but did not make the Olympic squad. He did confirm that he was on the injury replacement list, but was never called. If he continues dominating for the Islanders, he will be a shoo-in for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

The Islanders resume their season against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. It is a big matchup, as the two teams connected on the Noah Dobson trade in the offseason.