"The New York Islanders may have suffered a disheartening and disappointing 7-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth to start 2026, but Matthew Schaefer rang in the New Year by quite literally cashing in. With his power-play goal on Jan. 1, the 18-year-old Islanders defenseman officially triggered the first performance bonus of his NHL career, earning a $250,000 incentive for reaching the 10-goal mark."
"At 18 years and 118 days old, Schaefer became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to score 10 goals, breaking a record previously held by Phil Housley, who reached the mark at 18 years and 320 days back in 1983. Schaefer was also the seventh-youngest player overall in league history to record 10 goals, with only three forwards since World War II accomplishing the feat at a younger age."
Matthew Schaefer scored a power-play goal on Jan. 1 that reached the 10-goal mark and triggered a $250,000 performance bonus. Schaefer did so at 18 years and 118 days, becoming the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach 10 goals and breaking a long-standing Phil Housley record. Schaefer also ranked as the seventh-youngest player overall to reach 10 goals, a rare achievement for a teenage blueliner. Typical rookie defenseman milestones focus on ice time and survival, but Schaefer is producing on the scoresheet early while maintaining a composed, improvement-focused demeanor.
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