The New York Icelanders have selected defender Matthew Schaefer with the first global choice at the NHL 2025 draft Friday in Los Angeles.
Schaefer, who will be 18 years old on September 5, played for the Otters Erie of the Ontario Hockey League in the past two seasons.
The native of 6 feet 2 inches and 183 pounds, in Ontario, was limited to 17 games with Erie last season after missing the first nine with mononucleosis, then broke his right collarbone on December 27 while playing Canada in the IIHF 2025 World Championship.
Schaefer lost her mother, Jennifer, against breast cancer in February 2024, two months after her billet mother, Emily Matson, died in an apparent suicide. When Commissioner Gary Bettman presented an Icelanders jersey to Schaefer, the young person torn apart by kissing the symbolic pink ribbon added to the jersey.
“I miss her a lot,” said Schaefer about her mother. “I want her to be here today.”
With the second global selection, San Jose chose the Michael Misa center in Saginaw, which led the ONH last season with 62 goals and 72 assists in 65 games.
“His 200 -foot match, the speed he plays with, the passion with which he plays, competition. We just thought it was a perfect adjustment with what we already have here,” said Sharks general, Mike Grier. “Another guy to intervene and be a match nightmare.”
At n ° 3, the Chicago Blackhawks selected the Anton Frondell center, which played with Djurgarden in the second Sweden division last season. The Utah mammoth followed with the center of Moncton (QMJHL) Caleb Desnoyers, which posted 35 goals and 84 points in 56 regular season games before leading the Wildcats to the QMJHL championship.
The Nashville predators continued the race on the centers by selecting the physical center Brady Martin de Sault Ste. Marie (Ohl) with the fifth choice. Martin won the honors of the MVP while leading the Canada team to gold at the World Championships under 18 in April.
Philadelphia selected the right winger Martone de Brampton (ONH) at No. 6. He established franchise records for seasonal points (98) and assists (61).
Boston Bruins wrote the Boston College Center James Hagens at n ° 7. Hagens was considered the first potential overall choice before this season, but it was not as productive with the Boston College as in two seasons with the National Development Team of the United States. He produced 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games for Eagles while centering a line with first -round choices Ryan Leonard (Washington) and Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers).
The Seattle Kraken chose the Jake O’Brien Center in Brantford (OHL) at No. 8 before the Buffalo sabers attracted the second defender of the project, Radim Mrtka de Seattle (WHL). Anaheim has selected the Roger McQueen center in Brandon (WHL) with the 10th choice.
Pittsburgh’s Penguins have had their highest choice since 2012 and they have selected Benjamin Kidel, a Calgary center from the WHL, with the 11th choice.
The Penguins also had the 12th selection, but they exchanged it to the flyers in exchange for choices 22 and 31.
Philadelphia chose Jack Nesbitt, a Windsor center in Ontario who had had two goals and a decisive pass in the last two games for Canada in the world championships under 18 last April, helping them to gain gold.
The Detroit Red Wings have chosen Carter Bear, a left wing with Everett de la Whl, with the 13th choice.
With the 14th choice, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Jackson Smith, a defender with Tri-City of the Whl.
The Seattle Whl Club made another player go to the first round when Vancouver selected the Braeden Cootes center with the 15th choice.
The Icelanders then had consecutive choices at No. 16 and 17 after having acquired them from Montreal Canadians for defender Noah Dobson earlier during the day.
New York took the right winger Victor Eklund from Djurgarden in Sweden at No. 16. Eklund is William Eklund’s younger brother, who was drafted seventh in the general classification by the Sharks in 2021.
The Icelanders then caught another defender, taking Kashawn Aitcheson from Barrie de l’Ethl.
Calgary’s flames had the 18th choice, and they selected Cole Reschny, an undersized center from Victoria de la Whl. He heads for the University of Dakota in the North.
The Blues of St. Louis went on the 19th, and they took the right winger Justin Carbonneau de Blainville-Boisbriand du Qmjhl.
The second choice of Columbus night in 20th was Pyotr Andreyanov, the first goalkeeper taken in the first round since 2021. Andreyanov played for the junior team affiliated with CSKA Moscow.
– field level media