Matthew Schaefer goes No. 1 to Islanders; Misa, Frondell follow

The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Schaefer, who will turn 18 on Sept. 5, played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons.

The 6-foot-2, 183-pound Hamilton, Ontario native was limited to 17 games with Erie last season after missing the first nine with mononucleosis and then breaking his right clavicle on Dec. 27 while playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Schaefer lost his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer in February 2024, two months after his billet mother, Emily Matson, died in an apparent suicide. When commissioner Gary Bettman presented Schaefer with an Islanders jersey, he teared up as he kissed the symbolic pink ribbon added to the jersey.

"I miss her a lot," Schaefer said. "I wish she could be here today."

Despite having the 10th-best chance of winning last month's draft lottery at 3.5 percent, the Islanders landed the No. 1 pick for the first time since drafting John Tavares No. 1 overall in 2009.

"There's a lot of good players here tonight, but Matthew, the hockey player, is outstanding," said Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche. "The human being is as outstanding as the hockey player, so we're so excited to have him here and can't wait to see him (Saturday)."

The Sharks went second and selected center Michael Misa from Saginaw of the OHL, marking the first time since 2010 that the top two picks came from the OHL.

Misa was the league's top scorer last season with 62 goals and 72 assists in 65 games.

Misa has been playing with Saginaw since he was 15, when he became just the eighth player to be granted exceptional status by the Canadian Hockey League.

"His 200-foot game, the speed he plays with, the passion he plays with, the compete. We just thought it was a perfect fit with what we already have here," said Sharks general manager Mike Grier. "Another guy to step in and be a matchup nightmare. "

The Sharks had the No. 1 pick last season and selected center Macklin Celebrini.

The Blackhawks looked overseas for the third pick and selected center Anton Frondell, who played with Djurgarden in Sweden's second division last season.

Frondell was injured at the end of 2023-24 season and again at the start of this season, then had some inconsistent play that caused him to be bumped down a division.

Whether he can emerge as a top six forward for the Blackhawks is the biggest question mark for Frondell.

"He's an excellent complement to what we've got here in Chicago," said Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson. "He's going to really help us in building those next great Blackhawks teams."

A center left the board for the third straight pick when the Utah Mammoth selected Caleb Desnoyers with Moncton of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Desnoyers helped his stock as last season went along as he finished with 35 goals and 84 points in 56 regular-season games.

Desnoyers continued his success with nine goals and 30 points in 19 playoff games to help the Wildcats to the QMJHL championship.

His brother, Elliot, was taken in the fifth round (No. 135) of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.

"We do believe he's a game-changer. He can do everything," said Utah general manager Bill Armstrong. "Just watching him down the stretch, he put his team on his back as a 17-year-old and he led them down the road to a championship."

The Nashville Predators selected one of the most physical players in the draft, center Brady Martin of Sault Ste. Marie in the OHL, with the fifth pick.

Martin helped Team Canada win gold at the Under-18 World Championships in April, registering 11 points over seven games to win the tournament's Most Valuable Player honor.

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley announced the sixth pick for the Philadelphia Flyers as they selected right wing Porter Martone of Brampton of the OHL.

Martone produced the second-best points-per-game rate among draft-eligible players in the OHL -- trailing only Misa -- and broke the franchise record for most points (98) and most assists (61) in a single season.

He was also the only 2025 draft-eligible player named to Canada's roster for the 2025 IIHF World Championship.

"The combination of size, skill and playmaking ability, his vision, his sense, it's very hard to find," said Flyers general manager Danny Briere. "We're excited that he fell to us at No.6."

The Boston Bruins looked close to home and selected center James Hagens out of Boston College with the seventh pick.

Hagens was considered the potential first overall pick prior to this season, but he wasn't as productive with Boston College as he was in two seasons with the United States National Development Team.

Hagens produced 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games for the Eagles while centering a line with first-round picks Ryan Leonard (Washington) and Gabe Perreault (NY Rangers).

"I love to win," Hagens said. "I'm really glad I'm in Boston."

The Seattle Kraken went back to the OHL and selected center Jake O'Brien of Brantford.

He scored 98 points with 32 goals over 66 games last season, showing poise with the puck, a high hockey IQ, good vision and plenty of responsibility in the defensive zone.

"We've tried to build our team through the center ice position," said Seattle general manager Jason Botterill. "As we've got to know Jake, watching him on the ice, his creativity, his hockey sense, we think he's going to fit in extremely well with our talented young forwards here."

Radim Mrtka became the second defenseman selected when the Buffalo Sabres used the ninth pick on the 18-year-old who played for Seattle of the Western Hockey League.

He left his Czech team to come to North America in early December and finished with three goals and 32 assists in 43 regular-season games.

Mrtka is considered competitive and hardworking, skates well for his size, breaks the puck out accurately and defends well with his stick.

A WHL player was taken for the second straight time when the Anaheim Ducks selected center Roger McQueen from Brandon.

He was limited to 17 games last season because of a fracture in his lower back, but claims to be 100 percent. The 6-5, 197-pound McQueen says he patterns his game after former Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf.

--Field Level Media