NY Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer shared how he spent his Olympic break

For New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the Olympic break wasn’t about getting away from the game — it was about going back to where it all started.

Back home, the rising star found himself recognized a little more often than he used to be. “Yeah, it's definitely crazy. I mean, I just from, you know, before the draft to now, it's definitely, you get a little bit noticed a lot more. So, um, yeah, it's funny, the kids get so excited, even though you're just like, you know, I'm, I'm almost the same age as you guys kind of thing, you know.”

Still, the attention hasn’t changed him. If anything, it’s made him lean even further into the role-model moments. During the break, Schaefer spent time around local rinks, helping coach youth hockey teams and jumping into practices when he could. For the kids, it was a thrill. For Schaefer, it was a reminder of how recently he was in their skates.

“But yeah, it's pretty funny when uh you can just be a kid, coach some kids' games and just mess around and be on the bench and, you know,” he said. "I wasn't on the bench for like the full time, but I was like for warm-ups and uh and stuff like that. I got to go on with them and they just, they loved it. So, yeah, it was pretty cool.”

He joined them for warm-ups, offered some pointers, and did what Schaefer does best: connect with people through hockey and use his status and platform to better those around him. For Schaefer, the break wasn’t just rest, but also served as a brief full-circle moment during a whirlwind rookie season, and served as proof that even as his profile rises, being back home can help keep him grounded.