Islanders star Matthew Schaefer pulls off an NHL first that sounds absolutely exhausting
New York Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer became the first player since NHL tracking began in 2009-10 to play an entire three-on-three overtime. The 19-year-old’s endurance stood out in a game that went to a shootout, where the Islanders beat Nashville 4-3.
Schaefer began overtime, stayed on through a stoppage and a timeout, then played the rest of the period during a power play that kept much of the action in Nashville’s zone. He finished with 32 minutes and 16 seconds of ice time, the third-highest single-game total in the league this season, and recorded an assist; he has 11 points this year.
In short
- Schaefer played all of overtime in the Islanders’ 4-3 shootout win.
- He logged 32:16, third-highest in a game this season.
- The 19-year-old has 11 points this year.
Explained simply
The New York Islanders and the Nashville Predators are teams in the National Hockey League, North America’s top ice hockey league. Matthew Schaefer is a young defenceman for the Islanders, a position that involves helping stop opponents’ attacks as well as moving the puck forward.
NHL games are usually decided over three periods, but if the score is level, a brief three-on-three overtime is played with fewer skaters from each team on the ice. If neither side scores, a shootout decides the winner, with players taking turns to try to score against the goalkeeper. Ice time measures how long a player is on the ice during a game, so playing a whole overtime period is a notable test of endurance.