At some point, the words youngest ever might start to lose their punch when talking about Matthew Schaefer, but not yet — not after Friday night. The 18-year-old phenom became the youngest player in NHL history to score an overtime goal, capping a 3–2 win for the New York Islanders over the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City.
It was another chapter in what’s fast becoming a remarkable rookie story. Skating 3-on-3 with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, Schaefer slipped into open ice, took a perfect feed, and hammered a one-timer past Karel Vejmelka for his seventh goal of the season — a number that not only leads all NHL defensemen, but would be impressive for anyone, let alone a teenager who’s supposed to still be learning.