"Schaefer has been open about the loss of his mother to cancer, and how speaking about it rather than burying it has helped him heal. With his rise to the No. 1 pick and the attention that comes with it, he has chosen to use that platform. He has made it a priority to meet young kids who have gone through a similar loss - not for a camera, not as a charity date on a calendar, but because he understands the scar."
"The Islanders fans know what winning the lottery feels like, as the team won the NHL Draft Lottery, with only a 3.5% chance, for the privilege of drafting Schaefer. They also admitted to TSN that their hearts were racing as he stepped onto the ice. But what they spoke about most had nothing to do with time on ice or Calder buzz. "What he does for grieving kids means more to me than him scoring a goal," his grandfather told the network during the broadcast."
Matthew Schaefer extended his season-opening point streak to five in Ottawa while his grandparents attended his first NHL game in Canada. His grandparents flew from Sault Ste. Marie and expressed enormous pride, with his grandfather saying that what Schaefer does for grieving kids means more than goals. Schaefer lost his mother to cancer and has spoken about how talking about the loss helped him heal. Schaefer uses his platform as the No. 1 draft pick to meet grieving children, inviting families into the Islanders dressing room and including them at his contract signing. Schaefer focuses on personal connection rather than publicity.
Read at Eyes On Isles
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