Islanders take defenceman Matthew Schaefer first overall at NHL draft

By Canadian Press on June 27, 2025.

LOS ANGELES — Matthew Schaefer is a member of the New York Islanders.

The club selected the 17-year-old defenceman from the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters with the first pick at the 2025 NHL draft on Friday.

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.

The six-foot-two, 186-pound blueliner from Hamilton 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.

According to multiple reports, the Islanders traded defenceman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Emil Heineman and the 16th and 17th overall picks.

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.

The Vancouver Canucks own the highest selection among Canadian clubs at No. 15. The draft continues Saturday with rounds two through seven.