The New York Islanders are coming off a 5-4 loss at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg on Tuesday, but they can let out a big sigh of relief knowing that rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer ended up being fine after two injury scares in that contest.
The 18-year-old defenseman was able to finish the Jets game despite getting hurt on two occasions. He was taken off the ice in the first period to get checked for a concussion. He returned to the ice after getting cleared, but got hurt in the second period after absorbing a shot from Winnipeg veteran blueliner Luke Schenn.
Schaefer immediately went down after taking the slap shot but managed to get up. He was in visible pain, as he struggled to find his balance while trying to help the Islanders defend against Winnipeg's attack. Schaefer was later checked on the bench before finding himself back on the ice.
Matthew Schaefer struggling after blocking a shot. pic.twitter.com/tF76ZIUGNc
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 14, 2026
On Thursday, Schaefer provided an update on his status, via Andrew Gross of Newsday.
“Schaefer says all good from last game. Says Morrissey actually hit him in stomach, not head, so clearing concussion protocol was easy. On shot block, puck hit nerve on knee and leg went dead. Eventually came back to life,” Gross wrote in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.
Schaefer was able to find the back of the net with under a minute left in the third period, further showing that he was fine.
He is active for Thursday night's showdown against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place in Edmonton. He had an assist in the Islanders' 4-2 victory over the Oilers at UBS Arena in Elmont back in October.
On the season, the first pick overall in the 2025 NHL Draft has 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points across 46 games played.
