After Roy’s firing, Schaefer shares message that’s getting attention
Matthew Schaefer is already working under Peter DeBoer, and that gives the Islanders rookie an absurd coaching résumé before age 19.
That is what jumps out from the moment. Schaefer had Patrick Roy around him, and now the Islanders have already turned to DeBoer after making a late-season coaching change.
For a young defenseman, that is no small thing. Most teenagers are just trying to stay above water in their first NHL season. Schaefer is already absorbing two very different NHL bench voices.
And the timing makes it even stranger. DeBoer was hired on April 5, with the Islanders still trying to squeeze something out of the final stretch.
So Schaefer is not getting eased into a quiet reset. He is stepping into a room that just changed direction with only a handful of games left.
That is why the reaction around him makes sense. A player this young usually gets one stable track to follow. Schaefer is already learning on the fly through real turbulence.
Matthew Schaeffer said he's heard great things about new coach Peter DeBoer and "a lot of his teams have done so good." Schaeffer said he looks forward to learning from DeBoer.
Here is the full clip :
Schaefer is learning fast in a noisy spot
The Islanders' official coaching page now lists DeBoer as head coach, with Mathieu Darche as general manager and executive vice president.
The rookie angle matters because Schaefer is not some distant prospect here. Reports around the coaching shift had players, including Schaefer, already speaking about what DeBoer could bring and how much they want to learn from him.
“Patty’s helped me so much with just my first year in the NHL. Coming in as an 18-year-old, Patty and the whole coaching staff have helped me so much. We take full responsibility.”
That can help a young player. Roy brought one kind of intensity and presence. DeBoer brings a very different track record, with a reputation tied to structure, detail, and playoff runs.
For Schaefer, the value is not only tactical. It is also about seeing how two NHL coaches carry a room, handle pressure, and frame the game when the standings get tight.
That is a lot to pack in before turning 19. But it is also the kind of development path that can speed a player up if he is wired the right way.
And Schaefer clearly seems open to it. The whole point of the buzz is not just that the names look big on paper. It is that he is already in position to pull lessons from both.
That makes this more than a funny line about a résumé. For the Islanders, it is a reminder that one of their young pieces is getting a crash course from two major NHL coaching figures almost all at once.
Also read on Blade of steel :
Mathew Barzal says Peter DeBoer is already changing the Islanders' identity
Mathew Barzal says Peter DeBoer is already changing the Islanders' identity
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 6|155 ANSWERS After Roy’s firing, Schaefer shares message that’s getting attention Will Matthew Schaefer benefit from learning under Peter DeBoer this early ? | ||
| Yes | 84 | 54.2 % |
| No | 71 | 45.8 % |
| List of polls | ||