When Matthew Schaefer was born on Sept. 5, 2007, it had been more than four years since Patrick Roy played the final NHL game in his Hall of Fame career on April 22, 2003.
Or, to be exact, 1,599 days.
But even though Roy, now the New York Islanders coach, had concluded his playing days long before Schaefer could see him on the ice, the defenseman, who the Islanders selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is well aware of the status his coach holds within the game.
“Yeah, obviously he’s one of the best,” Schaefer said at the 11th annual Smilezone Celebrity Golf Tournament at Lionhead Golf Club in Brampton, Ontario, on Monday. “When I walked into the Upper Deck offices recently, I saw things about him all over the place. He’s been awesome to me. He’s such a great guy, too. Hockey was such a great thing (for him as a player), but he’s also a great human being, so to have a coach like that is awesome.”
Via NHL.com