Following Connor McDavid, Matthew Schaefer becomes the second Erie Otter—and first OHL player since 2015—drafted first overall.

New York surprises nobody by using its first No. 1 selection since 2009 on the 17-year-old Schaefer, a 6-foot-2 blue liner who spent the past two seasons with the OHL’s Erie Otters.

Matthew Schaefer lost his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer. Now, he’s achieved the ultimate milestone – becoming an NHL player. The 17-year-old was selected by the New York Islanders with the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft on Friday in Los Angeles.