Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders celebrates his overtime game winning goal against the Utah Mammoth in their game at the Delta Center on November 14, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Getty Images

DENVER — You hope he is not Jeremy Lin. You hope he is not Kevin Maas. You hope he is not Gregg Jefferies.

You hope that because you must, because you know how rare this is and because allowing yourself to believe fully in what Matthew Schaefer could be just 18 games into this 18-year-old’s career is to believe in things that would sound ridiculous if not for what your eyes are telling you, and you are on guard against disappointment.

Because there is no ceiling on what Matthew Schaefer could be. Because there is no historical precedent for this, at least not in hockey.

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