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Matthew Schaefer plays entire 3-on-3 overtime for Islanders in NHL first
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer stayed on the ice for the full 3-on-3 overtime against Nashville, a feat unmatched in at least fifteen years of tracked data, and logged 32:16 in the 4-3 shootout win.
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer stayed on the ice for the entire 3-on-3 overtime against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, the first time in at least fifteen years a player has done so. The 19-year-old then helped the Islanders secure a 4-3 win in a shootout after a dramatic comeback by Nashville.
The Islanders had built a 3-0 lead, but the Predators rallied with three unanswered goals to force overtime. Head coach Peter DeBoer sent Schaefer, the reigning Calder Trophy winner and a dynamic two-way defenseman, out to start the extra period. Schaefer played the first half before Nashville's Filip Forsberg tripped him, creating the period's first stoppage.
DeBoer then used a timeout to give his players a rest. When play resumed, Schaefer remained on the ice for the rest of overtime. The second half of the extra period was almost exclusively played in the Nashville zone because of the Islanders' power play, which Schaefer quarterbacks, and that dynamic helped make the feat possible.
The workload was substantial. Schaefer logged 32:16 of ice time in the game, which, according to Sportsnet, is the third-highest single-game total for any player this season. He also recorded an assist, giving him 11 points on the year (2 goals, 9 assists) and placing him just under a point-per-game pace.
Schaefer, the top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has been a central figure in New York's lineup as a young defenseman. His performance in a game that required a shootout to decide underscored his endurance and his importance to the Islanders' top power play unit.
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