"It is awesome. I'm coming home to the roots a little bit. I came to the games with my dad and friends. It will be good to be here with family in the building. Just with people I've grown up with - teachers, family, and so on - there will be so many people here."
"Just be himself. That is what he has been doing since he has been with us. It was a big stage in Montreal, and he handled it really well. It was a big stage when we played the Leafs in New York. Schaef has been handling those situations really well. He has been a great teammate."
"He is very humble and handles success very well. He has been a leader on our team, even at 18 years old. It is pretty impressive what he has been doing."
Matthew Schaefer, a Hamilton native, plays his first-ever NHL game in Toronto tonight at Scotiabank Arena against the Maple Leafs. Schaefer grew up attending games at the arena with his father, who was a Leafs fan, and has family and friends attending tonight's game. Despite his childhood connection to Toronto, Schaefer now plays for the New York Islanders. Islanders head coach Patrick Roy praised Schaefer's maturity and performance in his rookie season, noting his humility, leadership at age 18, and ability to handle high-pressure situations. Roy indicated Schaefer has performed well but acknowledged uncertainty about expectations given limited playing time in his previous season.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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