TORONTO – Matthew Schaefer is leaving positive impressions on the ice that ultimately start with who the promising 15-year-old defenceman is off the ice.
Be it starring with the South Central Triple-A U16 hockey league champion Halton Hurricanes, or scoring overtime winner for Team Ontario at the Canada Winter Games, the words of his father Todd are never far off for the six-foot-one, 160-pound native of Stoney Creek, Ont.
While it’s great to be good at hockey, being a good person is way more important, is a message instilled in him from a young age and Schaefer is striving to live up to it.
This season is Schaefer’s first with the Hurricanes after spending his last seven seasons with the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs.
The decision to change teams was the first major one he’s had to make in his young hockey career and while it wasn’t easy for him, the move he says, was strictly hockey related.
“I love the organization, the coaches, the players, [and] I still have some great buddies on the team that I always stay in touch with,” Schaefer said. “I didn’t make that decision ‘till the last minute because if I would have stayed at Hamilton, I probably would have had a good year with them too because they’re a great team. But overall, I just thought (maybe) I could have a better shot (at winning an OHL cup) with Halton.”
Making most of opportunities
Schaefer leads by example on a team where he doesn’t wear a letter – unfamiliar for the Hamilton captain during his final two seasons with the Bulldogs. When the Hurricanes beat the Southern Tier Admirals 4-1 to become 2022-23 SCTA champions, he was named player of the game with one goal and three assists. That came after he finished the regular season seventh in team scoring with 36 points in 27 games.
The breakout in his development came at the right time as Schaefer was one of 20 under-16 hockey talents chosen to represent defending champion Team Ontario at this year’s Canada Winter Games.
Before the tournament started, Schaefer was selected as captain for Team Ontario by head coach Steve Devine and associate coaches Cyril Bollers and David Cicchini, although Devine credits conversations with the players themselves leading up to the tournament for helping make the decision an easy one.
“We could have had 12 assistant captains given the high character that we have, but Matthew was the one that stood out [as choice for captain], and rightfully so,” Devine said. “He’s definitely a sponge. He’s looking for any information that can make him a better athlete and a better person. His willingness to learn off the ice and willingness to make sure our team is doing the right thing – as a coach, it’s something you can only dream that you have on a group and sometimes you get really lucky, and you have a person like Matthew. He’s a pro.”
Despite that maturity, not even Schaefer could have prepared himself for the outcome of Team Ontario’s gold medal game against Team Saskatchewan on Feb. 25.
Down 2-0 midway through the third period, Team Ontario stormed back to tie the game before Schaefer broke through the Saskatchewan defence and poked home the golden goal at 7:34 of double overtime.
Despite scoring arguably the most important goal of his young career, Schaefer was quick to credit his teammates instead.
“I would have never got that chance to score the goal if our goalie Jack Ivankovic doesn’t play the way he did – he was unreal,” Schaefer noted before reliving the moment. “Right after that happened (scoring the game winning goal), you kind of just forget what happens. You’re just like, so happy in the moment. It was a great moment, it just felt great.”
Leading by example
Kindness and selflessness are two qualities that come up when people talk about Schaefer off the ice.
He remembers the names of Winter Games’ volunteers (he shouts Velma) and recognizes and appreciates the work ethic and talents of the men’s wheelchair basketball team that he cheered on during an outing with his team.
Various role models have contributed to his off-ice persona, but older brother Johnny, with whom he shares a nine-year age difference, remains the biggest influence his life.
“He’s just such a great person,” the younger Schaefer boasted of his older brother. “We have such a good relationship; we’ll do anything together. He just does so much for me and [has] taught me so much about life and hockey – I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have him.”
Johnny was the first person whom Schaefer called when he was named captain of Team Ontario and he’s the first person to tell you to pull up a chair when speaking about his younger brother.
“I don’t know many people that have as much of a difference [in age] as me and my brother, but I think that’s actually made us stronger,” Johnny said. “Watching him grow into the man that he’s become and watching him over the years, it definitely makes me extremely proud and happy for whatever bit of path that I’ve paved for him.”
Parents Jen and Todd Schaefer have done all in their power to ensure the success and well-being of their two boys, whether it’s playing the role of secretary, housekeeper, or even lacing up the pads to be goalie for the neighbourhood street hockey crew – as Jen would do.
“They just do so much for me,” Schaefer said. “But those good old days, me and my brother were always wanting to play, and we [would] just keep begging my mom, and she’d always give in, because you know, she does so much for us. So, she’d go and stuff cushions into the hockey pants so she had extra padding; she’s just the best mom ever.”
Learning to shut out the noise and focus on living in the moment is something Jen always reminds her sons to do, especially after the Erie Otters Hockey Club announced that Schaefer will be the first overall pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection.
An older version of this article was previously published on the OMHA website.
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