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NBC Sports
38 minutes ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Islanders choose Erie defenseman Schaefer with No. 1 pick in NHL draft
LOS ANGELES — The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft Friday night. High-scoring forward Michael Misa went second overall to the San Jose Sharks, and the Chicago Blackhawks took Swedish forward Anton Frondell third at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The Philadelphia Flyers grabbed forward Porter Martone sixth overall before trading up for the 12th selection to get forward Jack Nesbitt, while the Pittsburgh Penguins maneuvered up and down the draft to control three picks in the top 24, swinging two trades to draft three forwards. But the Islanders surprised nobody by using their first No. 1 selection since 2009 on the 17-year-old Schaefer, a 6-foot-2 blueliner from Hamilton, Ontario, who spent the past two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters. An exceptional puck-mover and transitional force, Schaefer scored 22 points while playing in only 17 games last season before breaking his collarbone in December. Schaefer's acumen on both ends of the ice still propelled him to the top of nearly all draft boards. Schaefer is just the fifth defenseman picked No. 1 overall in the NHL draft since 2000, and the first since Owen Power went to Buffalo in 2021. Schaefer persevered through tragedy to reach this milestone. Schaefer's mother, Jennifer, died of cancer 16 months ago, and he also endured the recent deaths of the Otters' owner, Jim Waters, and the mother of his billet family. When Schaefer pulled on his Islanders sweater for the first time on the stage, he kissed a pink ribbon patch on the chest representing breast cancer awareness before breaking into tears. 'I appreciate you taking a chance on me,' Schaefer said in a video conference call with the Islanders' front office. 'I promise I won't disappoint, but especially I just want to say to my mom and all my family and friends, thanks for everything.' The Islanders added the patch specifically for Schaefer, along with his mother's initials. 'Seeing the ribbon on my jersey, and I saw a picture, it has J.S. on my back here,' Schaefer said. 'You can see just how high-class the organization is. It really means a lot. I wish my mom could be here today. Obviously, she's with me here in spirit. ... Cancer sucks, and it's not fun. She didn't feel the best, but she was always the happiest in the family. She would do anything for us.' Center Caleb Desnoyers went fourth to the Utah Mammoth, who moved up 10 spots in the draft lottery. The Nashville Predators chose physical forward Brady Martin with the fifth pick before trading up for the 21st selection to get Kitchener defenseman Cameron Reid. The fans of the host Los Angeles Kings inside the theater got fired up for their club to make the 24th selection — which the Kings promptly traded to Pittsburgh for the 31st and 59th selections, prompting groans from the crowd. The Penguins created the majority of the surprises in the first round, first by choosing Calgary Hitmen center Benjamin Kindel with the 11th pick — much higher than many prognosticators expected. Pittsburgh then traded the 12th pick, which originally belonged to the New York Rangers, to Philadelphia for the 22nd and 31st picks. The Flyers wanted the 6-foot-4 Nesbitt, a fast-rising center from the OHL's Windsor Spitfires last season. The Penguins also gave a second-round pick to the Kings and swapped first-rounders so they could move up for Michigan center William Horcoff with the 24th pick. The Anaheim Ducks took a chance on forward Roger McQueen with the 10th selection. The 6-foot-5 McQueen is widely thought to have enough talent to become an elite center, but the Saskatchewan native has been slowed by a back injury that scared off some teams. Columbus chose the first goalie of the draft, grabbing Russia's Pyotr Andreyanov with the 20th pick. Misa tore up the OHL last season as the captain of the Saginaw Spirit, scoring 62 goals and 134 points in just 65 games. He joins a struggling Sharks organization that chose Will Smith fourth overall in 2023 and got center Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick a year ago. 'We just thought it was a perfect fit with what we already have here,' Sharks general manager Mike Grier said. 'Another guy to step in and be a nightmare matchup for people.' Frondell excelled as a 17-year-old forward last season with Djurgården in Sweden's second division, showing off a two-way game that allowed him to push Misa on some draft boards. At 6-2, he could provide a large complement to Connor Bedard. Frondell is the eighth Swedish player to be a top-three selection, joining elite company including Victor Hedman, Mats Sundin and the Sedin twins. Martin skipped the draft, instead staying home on his family farm in Ontario. The Boston Bruins used the seventh overall pick on Boston College center James Hagens, the consensus top prospect for this draft a year ago. Hagens, a Long Island native coveted by many Islanders fans, slid down the board just enough to reach the Bruins, whose pick was announced by a video of Adam Sandler in character as Happy Gilmore, complete with his signature Bruins jersey. 'I'm so excited to be back in Boston, and to have Adam Sandler make the pick, that was special,' said Hagens, who cites 'Happy Gilmore' as his favorite movie. 'I love to win, and I'm really glad that I'm in Boston.' The Seattle Kraken chose playmaking forward Jake O'Brien eighth overall. The Islanders won the lottery to pick first in a draft that is packed with talent — while missing a few staples of recent drafts. There was no prohibitive lock of a No. 1 pick in this field, unlike the past two drafts — although Schaefer clearly came out on top for most executives. The draft also lacked the centralized structure that has long been a staple of this annual exercise. The 32 teams' various executives are mostly at home, not strewn across the draft floor. The majority of the picks were taken to a video room just behind the stage to exchange televised pleasantries with their new front offices through video conferencing.
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
New York Islanders select defenceman Matthew Schaefer first overall at NHL draft
LOS ANGELES - Matthew Schaefer stood up after his name was called. The emotion of moment was too much. Thinking about the person he wished more than anything could be by his side overwhelmed the 17-year-old defenceman. His tears flowed soon after. The New York Islanders did the expected Friday, selecting Schaefer with the first pick at the 2025 NHL draft. His big moment just steps from Arena — home of the Los Angeles Kings — was also tinged with a level of sadness. The teenager's mother, Jennifer, died of breast cancer in February 2024. Schaefer, who spent two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters, kissed the cancer awareness ribbon on his Islanders jersey after pulling it on, pointed to the sky and then broke down. 'I couldn't control the tears … thinking about my mom a little extra today,' said the Hamilton native. 'I know she'd be very proud. I'd love her to be here in person. But obviously cancer sucks, so she's with me in spirit. 'I know she's not suffering and she's happy, smiling down and always with me.' Schaefer had been viewed as the slam-dunk top selection for months despite not playing since December after suffering a broken collar bone while suiting up for Canada at the world junior hockey championship. His mother's passing came three months after his billet mom was struck and killed by a train in what was ruled death by suicide. Schaefer then was rocked during the world juniors when mentor and Otters owner Jim Waters died of a heart attack in December. The six-foot-two, 186-pound blueliner with elite skill at both ends of the rink joins an organization that was busy in the hours before calling his name first inside the Peacock Theater. The Islanders traded defenceman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Emil Heineman and the 16th and 17th overall picks. The San Jose Sharks then took forward Michael Misa second overall. Once the hands-down presumptive first pick in 2025, the six-foot-one, 182-pound centre from Oakville, Ont., led the entire Canadian Hockey League in goals (62) and points (134) in 2024-25 playing for the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. 'It was awesome,' Misa said. 'Just a moment of relief, excitement, a little emotional with my family — they've meant so much to me and supported me.' The Chicago Blackhawks selected Swedish forward Anton Frondell at No. 3. The six-foot-one, 204-pound centre had 25 points in 29 regular-season games playing against men in Sweden's second division this season with Djurgardens. Caleb Desnoyers went fourth overall to the Utah Mammoth. The centre for Moncton of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League took home the circuit's playoff MVP honours after putting up nine goals and 21 assists in 19 games, helping the Wildcats reach the Memorial Cup. The St-Hyacinthe, Que., product also won the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league's top professional prospect. 'I had a great feeling with them,' Desnoyers said of the Mammoth. 'Heard a lot of great things.' The Nashville Predators then picked Brady Martin to round out the top-5. Instead of being in Los Angeles for the draft, the centre for the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds was back home working on his family farm in Elora, Ont. The Philadelphia Flyers took forward Porter Martone of the OHL's Brampton Steelheads sixth overall before the Boston Bruins picked Boston College centre James Hagens at No. 7. Jake O'Brien of the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs landed eighth to the Seattle Kraken, Radim Mrtka of the Western Hockey League's Seattle Thunderbirds went ninth to the Buffalo Sabres and Roger McQueen of the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings joined the Anaheim Ducks at No. 10. The 2025 showcase event marks the NHL's first decentralized draft in a non-pandemic environment — a format similar to the NFL and NBA where teams make selections remotely instead of all being in the same venue on-site. No decision has been made on how the draft will look next year, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly said earlier Friday the vote in favour of decentralization among teams this time around was 26-6. Celebrities and special guests named each pick after Schaefer, including actor Adam Sandler, who announced Hagens going to the Bruins. 'One of the coolest moments I've ever had,' Hagens said. 'It's something that doesn't feel real.' There were, however, some hiccups. Players entered the so-called 'NHL Draft Room' after getting picked to speak with their new general managers, but one example of things not going exactly according to plan came when Boston's video feed froze as Hagens was speaking to the team's brass. The Vancouver Canucks owned the highest selection among Canadian clubs at No. 15. The draft continues Saturday with rounds two through seven. The night, however, belonged to Schaefer. 'I don't usually cry as much as my dad and brother,' he said. 'My dad's like, 'Ah, you won't cry.' And then I'm kind of biting my tongue, and my name gets called, and then they start flowing. 'Happy tears … I just wish my mom could be here.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Islanders pick Victor Eklund, Kashawn Aitcheson as they beef up roster in NHL draft first round
The Islanders kept on adding in the NHL draft's first round. After the Noah Dobson trade to the Canadiens became official, the Islanders landed Swedish winger Victor Eklund at No. 16 and Canadian defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson at No. 17 on Friday night. Victor Eklund #18 of Team Sweden skates in the second period against Team Finland of the semifinal match during the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre on January 4, 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images Kashawn Aitcheson #77 of Team CHL gets ready to pass the puck during CHL USA Prospects game between USA and CHL at Canada Life Place on November 26, 2024 in London, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images It gave the Islanders three picks in the first round after they selected blue liner Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick. This story will be updated
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
New York Islanders choose Erie defenseman Matthew Schaefer with No. 1 pick in NHL draft
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft Friday night. High-scoring forward Michael Misa went second overall to the San Jose Sharks, and the Chicago Blackhawks took Swedish forward Anton Frondell third at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Center Caleb Desnoyers went fourth to the Utah Mammoth, who moved up 10 spots in the draft lottery. The Nashville Predators grabbed physical forward Brady Martin with the fifth pick. The Philadelphia Flyers also made two early picks, grabbing forward Porter Martone sixth overall before trading up for the 12th selection to get forward Jack Nesbitt. The Islanders surprised nobody by using their first No. 1 selection since 2009 on the 17-year-old Schaefer, a 6-foot-2 blueliner from Hamilton, Ontario, who spent the past two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters. He played only 17 games last season before breaking his collarbone in December, but Schaefer's acumen on both ends of the ice still propelled him to the top of nearly all draft boards. Schaefer is just the fifth defenseman picked No. 1 overall in the NHL draft since 2000, and the first since Owen Power went to Buffalo in 2021. Schaefer persevered through tragedy to reach this milestone. Schaefer's mother, Jennifer, died of cancer 16 months ago, and he also endured the recent deaths of the Otters' owner, Jim Waters, and the mother of his billet family. When Schaefer pulled on his Islanders sweater for the first time, he kissed a pink ribbon patch on the chest representing breast cancer awareness before breaking into tears. 'I appreciate you taking a chance on me,' Schaefer said in a video conference call with the Islanders' front office. 'I promise I won't disappoint, but especially I just want to say to my mom and all my family and friends, thanks for everything.' The Islanders added the patch specifically for Schaefer, along with his mother's initials. 'Seeing the ribbon on my jersey, and I saw a picture, it has J.S. on my back here,' Schaefer said. 'You can see just how high-class the organization is. It really means a lot. I wish my mom could be here today. Obviously, she's with me here in spirit. ... Cancer sucks, and it's not fun. She didn't feel the best, but she was always the happiest in the family. She would do anything for us.' The Pittsburgh Penguins created the first two big surprises of the draft, first by choosing Calgary Hitmen center Benjamin Kindel with the 11th pick — much higher than many prognosticators expected. Pittsburgh then traded the 12th pick, which originally belonged to the New York Rangers, to Philadelphia in exchange for the 22nd and 31st picks. The Flyers wanted the 6-foot-4 Nesbitt, a fast-rising center from the OHL's Windsor Spitfires last season. Misa tore up the OHL last season as the captain of the Saginaw Spirit, scoring 62 goals and 134 points in just 65 games. He joins a struggling Sharks organization that chose Will Smith fourth overall in 2023 and got center Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick a year ago. 'We just thought it was a perfect fit with what we already have here,' Sharks general manager Mike Grier said. 'Another guy to step in and be a nightmare matchup for people.' Frondell excelled as a 17-year-old forward last season with Djurgården in Sweden's second division, showing off a two-way game that allowed him to push Misa on some draft boards. At 6-2, he could provide a large complement to Connor Bedard. Frondell is the eighth Swedish player to be a top-three selection, joining elite company including Victor Hedman, Mats Sundin and the Sedin twins. Martin skipped the draft, instead staying home on his family farm in Ontario. The Boston Bruins used the seventh overall pick on Boston College center James Hagens, the consensus top prospect for this draft a year ago. Hagens, a Long Island native coveted by many Islanders fans, slid down the board just enough to reach the Bruins, whose pick was announced by a video of Adam Sandler in character as Happy Gilmore, complete with his signature Bruins jersey. 'I'm so excited to be back in Boston, and to have Adam Sandler make the pick, that was special,' said Hagens, who cites 'Happy Gilmore' as his favorite movie. 'I love to win, and I'm really glad that I'm in Boston.' The Seattle Kraken chose playmaking forward Jake O'Brien eighth overall. The Islanders won the lottery to pick first in a draft that is packed with talent — while missing a few staples of recent drafts. There was no absolute lock of a No. 1 pick in this field, although Schaefer clearly came out on top, and the draft also lacked the centralized structure that has long been a staple of this annual exercise. The 32 teams' various executives are mostly at home, not strewn across the draft floor. ___ AP NHL:
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL Draft 2025: Analyzing fit, potential of the top 5 picks
The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL Draft. Hockey's next generation of stars is here. The New York Islanders kicked off the 2025 NHL Draft with their No. 1 selection of defenseman Matthew Schaefer. As the rest of the first-round selections roll in from L.A.'s Peacock Theater, The Athletic's experts break down picks No. 1-5 and what fans of the Islanders, Sharks, Blackhawks, Mammoth and Predators can expect. Players tend to be ranked higher based on two key elements: an elite ceiling and a likelihood of reaching that level sooner than later. So the more Schaefer became the consensus No. 1 pick, between rankings here at The Athletic and throughout the hockey sphere, the better bet he appeared to be here. There are two especially noteworthy elements to his game, according to our Scott Wheeler: his elite skating ability that translates on both ends of the ice and his maturity, despite being on the younger side of this draft class. Advertisement A team's draft strategy should be selecting the best player available, not need. So, Schaefer should have been the pick here, regardless of the Islanders' needs. But after today's Noah Dobson trade, this happens to check both boxes; he projects to grow into a top-pair caliber defenseman who can drive play and fills an important need on the back end. — Shayna Goldman, national writer Ultimately, Sharks general manager Mike Grier and his staff went with a polished all-around forward in Misa rather than uncorking a rumored curveball with Swedish center Anton Frondell. Frondell had emerged through reports in recent days as a consideration given his combination of size, skill and offensive potential. Even Porter Martone was rumored as a fit given his true power forward profile. But there is a reason why Misa was projected to be the No. 2 pick all along. One of the few to be granted exceptional player status, Misa delivered on his immense promise in the Ontario Hockey League. The Saginaw Spirit star was the leading scorer in Canadian major junior hockey last season with 134 points, including 62 goals, in just 65 regular-season games. Misa is a committed defender in his own zone in addition to his offensive feats. Listed at 6 feet 1 and 184 pounds, it's not as if he is diminutive. Misa can play center and wing, though he returned to the middle this past season. Because of his versatility, the Sharks could envision him as their 2C behind Macklin Celebrini or move him to the wing if they're determined to shift Will Smith back to center. Smith did display great chemistry with Celebrini in the second half of last season, and so San Jose could stick with that and have Misa, whose game has drawn comparisons to John Tavares, Dylan Larkin and Marian Hossa, develop into a top-six pivot. And the Sharks would do well even if Misa has the kind of career Logan Couture had for the franchise. — Eric Stephens, Sharks beat reporter With the first two selections going as most expected, the Blackhawks became the team to really set the path for the top-10 picks. Would they go with Anton Frondell, Caleb Desnoyers, Porter Martone, someone else? Almost none of them would have been a surprise. The Blackhawks ended up taking Frondell, a 6-foot-1 and 205-pound forward who they envision as another top-six piece to their rebuild puzzle. With Frondell's size and two-way game, the Blackhawks think he can perfectly complement what they already have in their forward roster pool, especially the likes of Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, two undersized centers. Frondell took off in his draft year while playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden's second division. Frondell's 25 points in that league were he most by an under-18 player since William Nylander produced 27 points during the 2013-14 season. — Scott Powers, Blackhawks beat writer After talk for weeks that they could move the No. 4 pick for more immediate help, the Mammoth instead selected center Caleb Desnoyers from the Moncton Wildcats. Desnoyers adds another skilled forward to a loaded prospect pool that includes last year's No. 6 selection Tij Iginla. Desnoyers won the QMJHL playoff MVP in taking Moncton to the Memorial Cup and piled up 35 goals and 84 points in 56 games for one of the best points per game in the Q in the last 25 years. He's a very high-IQ pivot who excels as a playmaker and two-way player. Desnoyers is considered a high-end competitor and potential No. 1 center once he fills out — he's 6 feet 2 and 180 pounds — and spends another year or two developing. Utah has quickly been building out one of the deepest pools of young offensive talents in the league, including the recently acquired JJ Peterka, and Desnoyers will fit right in. — James Mirtle, national writer The Predators started this draft with a major organizational need at center and, with the No. 5 pick, a guaranteed opportunity to fill it. They did just that; Brady Martin, as mocked to them by Corey Pronman, was the pick. Martin was a bit of a late riser, but the appeal is clear. There might not be a better blend of skill, productivity and physicality in the draft. Martin starred at the World Juniors, scoring twice in the gold medal game, and finished the OHL season with 72 points in 57 games. Maybe more importantly, he loves Sam Bennett and Tom Wilson's games, and it shows. Nashville got the type of player it desperately needed. — Sean Gentille, national writer
