NHL draft prospect, Hamilton's Matthew Schaefer, on dealing with serious injury and the death of his mom
Matthew Schaefer's collarbone is fine, and so is the Erie Otter defenseman's perspective on dealing with adversity.
Missing the final three months of the season entering his draft eligible year, the 17-year-old said, is nothing compared to what NHL Central Scouting's top-ranked North American skater has already endured.
Schaefer lost his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer in February 2024. Two months earlier, his billet mother in Erie was struck and killed by a train, with her death ruled a suicide.
"I've been through a lot in my life and I'd rather an injury than losing someone I love," Schaefer said Friday at the NHL's annual pre-draft combine in Buffalo. "I mean, there's a lot worse things that can happen than injuries.
As for recovering from the collarbone he broke in December, Schaefer said: "I'm pretty positive with my mindset and I'm driven to want to come back. So yeah, obviously injuries, they're not fun. But I'm driven to get better and come back even stronger."
Schaefer was cleared to resume skating May 1 and plans to take part in all of the combine's strength and agility tests with the exception of the bench press and pullups.
Schaefer is ranked ahead of Oakville, Ont.'s Michael Misa
Upbeat and talkative, he showed no hint of the pain he's dealt with by engaging reporters in opening the press conference by saying: "What's going on today? Everybody good?"
Schaefer then proceeded to playfully joke and also compliment Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa, with whom he shared the podium and is the No. 2-ranked North American skater.
"Not able to play as much, I got to watch a little more and got to know him. Great guy on and off ice," Schaefer said, before saying he'd be happy if Misa was selected ahead of him.
Schaefer then displayed humility by acknowledging being surprised to maintain the No. 1 ranking despite having his season cut short after being hurt representing Canada at the world junior championships.
"I played only 17 games and, you know, why are you at the top of that list?" he said. "I played in those 17 games, I took it as opportunities and I worked as hard as I could and left it all out there."
NHL Central Scouting chief Dan Marr told The Associated Press the debate in ranking Schaefer over Misa was close, and wouldn't be surprised if Misa or perhaps, Boston College center James Hagens, goes No. 1 in the draft in Los Angles on June 27.
Hagens is from Long Island and the top-ranked American-born skater. The top-ranked European skaters are Sweden junior teammates, center Anton Frondell and right wing Victor Eklund, who's brother William plays for San Jose.
The New York Islanders have the first pick, followed by San Jose and Chicago.
What separated Schaefer from the rest in the rankings, Marr said, was what he showed in his 17 games with Erie, and his performance at the Canada's Under-18 summer camp.
From Hamilton, Schaefer displayed his offensive abilities in scoring seven goals and 22 points with Erie last season. That's what scouts were looking for following his rookie season in which Schaefer had three goals and 17 points in 56 games.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 183 pounds, Schaefer is a two-way defenseman with strong skating and play-making ability.
#TheMoment a rising hockey star turned tragedy into triumph
1 year ago
Duration 1:22
The New York Islanders have the first pick in the NHL draft on June 27
Misa, is from Oakville, Ontario, and enjoyed a breakout third season in Saginaw while making the switch from wing to center.
Granted exceptional status to play at 15 in 2022, he led all Canadian Hockey League players this season with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) — the most by an OHL player 17 or younger since John Tavares in 2006-07. Tavares, now with Toronto, went No. 1 pick 2009 draft to the Islanders.
Schaefer enjoyed the interview process over the past week, and said he had dinner with both the Islanders and Sharks.
"I'm a talker. I love all these interviews and stuff, it keeps me busy," Schaefer said.
He then jokingly frowned when informed Misa had four dinners.
Misa holds Schaefer in high regard, and also acknowledged he'd be fine if the defenseman was selected ahead of him.
"You know what you're getting from him every night. He's all over the ice," Misa said. "When he does make that jump to the NHL, he is going to have no problem fitting in."
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Article content The NHL draft is a week away. Most people expect the Vancouver Canucks will trade their first-round pick away in an effort to add a player who can help the roster right now, as opposed to drafting a player who will need a couple of years to even make it to the NHL, let alone be impactful. Two years, after all, is Quinn Hughes ' current timeline. Article content If Hughes is not going to stay beyond two years, the Canucks really only have this coming season to focus on — it would be the last kick at the can for this era of Canucks, such as they are. Article content It's already a near-certainty that Brock Boeser will be on a new team next season, meaning that his goals will need replacing even if management wants to find a player who plays the game in a different way. And Friday's news that the Canucks called up Pius Suter 's agent this week — as reported by CHEK-TV's Rick Dhaliwal — tells us that the Canucks are feeling anxious about the forwards market in general. Matt Duchene signed a contract extension with Dallas this week. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Canucks are believed to have had him on their list of targets. President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford has spoken openly over the past two months that the route to rejuvenating the team's forward group likely lies in a trade, rather than a bevy of free agents. And as the off-season has evolved, it has become clear that the Canucks will most likely have to flip their first-round pick in a trade to bring in the kind of top-six forward they covet. Article content With all this in mind, let's take a look at where the Canucks sit with their first-round pick (15th overall) a week out from the draft. What they need The Canucks' prospect pool isn't overflowing, but it's not awful. They've got Tom Willander, Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki at the top of the heap, plus guys like Aatu Räty, Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson, Victor Mancini and Kirill Kudryavtsev in the second tier. Of the former three, only Elias Pettersson is believed to be untouchable, although the Canucks likely won't move Willander, given his solid growth since his draft and the fact he's a right-hand shot, a prized thing for a defenceman. Lekkerimäki scored two impressive goals on Thursday in game four of the Calder Cup final, but those were just his second and third goals in the playoffs to date, hardly an impressive run for a player the Canucks had hoped would be able to quickly add to the lineup and perhaps be a long-term replacement for Boeser. He's also not big, not strong, and not especially quick. His finishing talents are notable, but he needs to grow his overall game to be an impactful NHLer. Article content Pettersson, the defenceman, looks set to move from prospect to NHL regular this coming season. That's how much he impressed everyone with his play in the NHL this past season. The Canucks are hopeful Mancini can grow his game beyond being just a 'very strong guy' while Kudryavtsev has improved greatly as a pro. Now the question is can he do all the smart things he does in the AHL at an NHL pace? Both Bains and Karlsson have a chance to be hard-working grinders who play the game with smarts Both have shown glimpses of this in the NHL but need to be consistent contributors down the lineup, night in and night out. Sasson has good feet and understands the game well. To hang as a fourth-line centre he needs to find ways to get the puck up the ice more. Conversely, can Räty improve his skating enough to become the dependable third-line centre he showed glimpses of in his late-season cameo in the NHL this spring? Article content All this is to say that the Canucks can use talent everywhere. They need forwards who can change the game. They need defencemen who can play with smarts as well as with bite. They have a decent crop of players who will pan out as mid-roster players, but they're lacking in true high-end upside. Who's likely available at 15? The Canucks didn't send a big staff to the NHL combine in Buffalo earlier this month, a sign many took to mean that they aren't all that interested in picking at 15th overall. Reportedly the main player they spent much time with was Seattle Thunderbirds centre Braeden Cootes, who they took out for dinner. 'I think they just liked the way I have that hard skill, a lot of people call it. I can skate well, I compete really hard. That was pretty much it, they'll be honest he didn't talk too much about hockey, it was a lot of just getting to know each other, stuff away from the rink,' Cootes told CHEK-TV's Donnie and Dhali Show about what Todd Harvey, the Canucks' scouting director, told him about what they liked about the centre's play. Article content We asked an NHL scout, we'll call him 'Anonymous Scout No. 1', about Cootes' value at 15th. 'Fifteen isn't a bad spot,' he said. 'No great targets, but also not many awful options there.' 'If their guy really is Braeden Cootes, that's fine. He has absolutely sick skill and an elite release, but he plays like a grinder so it barely ever pops. Creativity and processing are issues so I think he tops out as a mid-six guy,' he added. A second scout, who we'll call Anonymous Scout No. 2, said the Canucks should keep their eyes on what happens with Victor Eklund. 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'Certainly has the bite, but not the brain or skill. Forget the goals. Used as a shooter in power play in OHL, but will never see that opportunity as a pro. His most translatable attributes are his B Game. Physicality, and he backs it up.' Article content What they may actually do with it Elite Prospects' Cam Robinson concurs with Anonymous Scout No. 1's assessment. It's Robinson who asked around and determined that of the top 20 or so prospects, Cootes was the one the Canucks took out for dinner. The 15th overall pick is in an interesting spot — and if the Canucks are set to trade it, they would be wise to wait as long as possible to move it. 'It's really hard to forecast (who will be available at 15) since the 8 to 14 slots are going to be a complete jumble,' Robinson explained. As the picture evolves on who will be available at 15th overall, so will how other teams value that pick, including the teams the Canucks will be talking trade with. Teams who are interested in 15 today may value it less as the moment of selection approaches and vice versa — teams may become more interested in 15 because a player they covet remains available. Article content Latest National Stories
