"It was the voice of experience, of someone who understands how unforgiving elite competition can be for teenage defensemen. Early on, Pronger said he leaned toward caution, especially from an Islanders perspective. "If you're the Islanders, you're like, let's give him the month off. Let's let him rest because we're gonna be in a playoff run, a stretch run, stretch drive.""
"Again, he's not Bobby Orr, he said, before immediately explaining why the comparison even crossed his mind. "But the way that he skates-if you watch old footage of Bobby Orr, he's flying by guys and he's not even really trying. And this kid... he's doing the same thing." Then came the kicker: "And the league is way faster than it was back then. And this kid is doing that.""
Chris Pronger admitted initial hesitation about playing 18-year-old defenseman Mathew Schaefer at the NHL level, recommending caution and even suggesting the Islanders might give him a month off during a playoff push. Schaefer remained in the lineup and produced consistent, impactful performances that forced Pronger to reassess his judgment. Pronger highlighted Schaefer's exceptional skating and energy, comparing his effortless speed to early footage of Bobby Orr and noting that Schaefer achieves that level despite the league being faster today. Pronger also raised doubts about Team Canada's choice to omit Schaefer from its Olympic roster.
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