Whether he is entrusted with the captaincy or even made an assistant captain, like he was with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League in 2024-25, Schaefer does not think it would lead him to change his game.
“It’s just being yourself, you don’t want to change anything about yourself,” he said. “If you get a letter, if you get the captaincy, it doesn’t matter, you just need to be yourself. The reason you get picked is because of who you are and what you are about so don’t change anything, just keep being you. Just be good with the guys. At the end of the day, having a close team makes it a lot easier and makes it more fun being around the guys.”
Though he admitted feeling much more confident heading into his second NHL season, Schaefer credited everyone with the Islanders for allowing him to make a successful transition to the NHL during his rookie season.
“Yeah, 100 percent. Being with such a great group of guys, anyone can talk or say stuff out loud,” Schaefer said. “I like talking, obviously, and coming in the guys said it’s good for you to talk and I started speaking up from the second I got there because I was made to feel so comfortable and wanted to help the team in any way possible. But we have so many leaders so it’s so easy.”
Schaefer, who has two seasons remaining on his three-year entry-level contract, is not eligible to sign a new contract until July 1, 2027. And despite Ducks forward Leo Carlsson (five years, $18 million average annual value) and Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard (five years, $15 million AAV) signing big contracts during the offseason after their entry-level deals expired, Schaefer said a big payday is not on his mind.
“I’ll let my agent think about that,” he said. “I don’t need to think about that, I’m still a kid, I’m still a year away from any of that. I love Long Island, we have something so special going on there. I don’t care about the money. I just want to play the game of hockey and that’s what I love.
“If you’re just playing hockey and having fun, that’s all that matters honestly, and being with the right people, the right coaches, the right management. At the end of the day it’s family and we want to create something super special on Long Island and we want to win the Stanley Cup. You just want to win a Cup and go as far as you can with the team.”
Trottier has spoken with Schaefer on several occasions since he was drafted and said it is his attitude off the ice as much as it is his play on the ice that has allowed him to be embraced by the Islanders fanbase so quickly.
“Each time he impresses me just a little bit more,” Trottier said. “He wants to be an Islander, he wants to be a part of their success and their history and that’s going to speak volumes because Long Island is going to (keep) falling in love with him.
“He’s certainly got a demeanor and that smile that everyone loves to see so I think any market would love to have a guy like Schaefer. But Long Island in general, if you bring that embracing feeling, they’ll wrap their arms around you and he wrapped his arms around the Island. It’s kind of a love affair.”
