Matthew Schaefer Wins Calder Memorial Trophy

The NHL announced this afternoon that 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer won the Calder Memorial Trophy after earning all 198 first-place votes, making him the unanimous selection. He finished with 1,980 points. Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens finished second. He received 120 second-place votes, 48 third-place votes, 25 fourth-place votes, and three fifth-place votes, finishing with 1,158 points. Third place went to Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks, who earned 41 second-place votes, 110 third-place votes, 38 fourth-place votes, and seven fifth-place votes. Rounding out the top five were Jakub Dobes and Jimmy Snuggerud of the St. Louis Blues.

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The Islanders drafted Schaefer first overall in last June’s draft. In 82 games this season, he had 59 points on 23 goals and 36 assists. He was a +13 with eight power-play goals and four game-winning goals. He tied the NHL record for goals by a rookie defenseman with his 23; he tied Brian Leetch, who did so in the 1988-89 season. The points were the most ever by an Islanders rookie defenseman. He was also the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach 50 points, doing so at 18 years and 195 days old.

Before being drafted, he spent two seasons with the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League, recording 39 points in 73 games on ten goals and 29 assists; he was a +19. He also played in two games with Canada at the World Juniors Championship, where he had a goal and an assist and was a plus-two.