New York Islanders star defenseman Matthew Schaefer started overtime against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night and never left the ice until it ended. In the process, he made NHL history.
Schaefer, 19, became the first skater on record to skate all five minutes of an overtime period. The NHL officially started tracking time on ice with real-time data in the 2009-10 season.
The defenseman impacted play throughout the extra session. He had four shot attempts and drew a tripping penalty against Nashville's Filip Forsberg.
Schaefer finished the game with 32:16 in ice time, a career high, and assisted on Bo Horvat's second-period goal.
"He was all over the ice tonight," Islanders coach Pete DeBoer said. "I think he is every night. He wants to make a difference every shift, and that's what's so special about him. The enthusiasm to change the game every time his skates hit the ice is exceptional."
The Islanders won in the shootout 4-3 to give goalie Semyon Varlamov his first NHL win since Nov. 14, 2024. But the league was buzzing about Schaefer's achievement after the game.
It's just another star-making moment for one of the NHL's best young defensemen. Schaefer unanimously won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year last season.