Matthew Schaefer, a rookie defenseman for the New York Islanders, received the NHL’s rookie of the month award for his outstanding performance in October. Schaefer stood out among all rookies, ranking third in points with a total of three goals and five assists across 11 games.
Additionally, Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights was named the league’s first star for the month. Mark Scheifele from the Winnipeg Jets earned the second star, and Jakub Dobes of the Montreal Canadiens was recognized as the third star for their exceptional contributions in the early part of the season.
Hailing from Hamilton, the 18-year-old Schaefer was the Islanders’ top pick in this year’s draft, chosen first overall. He made history by becoming the only 18-year-old defenseman to accumulate more points than him in the first 11 games of an NHL career since Phil Housley in 1982-83 with the Buffalo Sabres.
Schaefer outshined other top rookies in October, surpassing players like Dobes, Demidov, and Kapanen from the Canadiens, Finnie from the Red Wings, Buium from the Wild, and Snuggerud from the Blues.
Setting multiple records, Schaefer became the youngest player to record a point in his NHL debut at 18 years and 34 days, breaking Scott Niedermayer’s previous record. He also became the youngest defenseman to score his first goal since Ross Johnstone over 80 years ago.
Continuing his impressive performance, Schaefer maintained a point streak over six games at the start of the season, contributing two goals and five assists. His first game-winning goal came against the San Jose Sharks on October 21.
Meanwhile, Eichel, fresh off signing an eight-year, US$108-million contract extension with Vegas, led the NHL with a remarkable eight goals and 11 assists in 11 games. Scheifele, at 32 years old, set a record for the Jets as the all-time scoring leader with nine goals in the initial 11 games. Dobes, aged 24, achieved a flawless 6-0-0 record in October for the Canadiens with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.