Schaefer Leads Calder Race, Sennecke & Demidov Push On

0:00It's March 9th for the NHL. Let's get into it. At the three-quarter mark of the 2025-26 NHL season, the race for the Calder trophy, awarded to the top rookie, is heating up. New York Islander's defenseman, Matthew Schaefer, leads the pack after topping a panel vote with the maximum 80 points from 16 first place. Boats. The 18-year-old made history as the youngest defenseman ever to score 20 goals, hitting that mark in a 5-4 win over the Florida. Panthers on March 1st. Schaefer stands out with 46 points in 64 games, leading all rookies and goals, and tying for second among all defensemen. He tops first-year players and assists, powerplay points, shots, block shots, penalties drawn, and average ice time of 24 minutes 16. Seconds per game. Recently named the league's first star of the week, he scored four goals in three games to fuel the Islander's comeback wins. Teammates call his play phenomenal, especially for an 18-year-old on defense, and say the team is lucky to have him. Analysts wonder if he could earn votes for best

1:04defensemen or even most valuable player, crediting him as a total game-changer. Islander's fans treat him like a rock star, chanting his name at home games, which fires him up. Meanwhile, Anaheim ducks forward. Beckett Sinecki sits second in voting with 56 points. The former third overall pick leads rookies with 51 points, including 20 goals, and hit the 50 point mark faster than any ducks rookie. Ever. Montreal-Canadians forward, Ivan Demadov is close behind with 54 points, topping rookies and assists at 35. Schaefer's lead feels more secure by the day, but Sinecki and Demadov keep pushing with strong seasons. Other names like Jesper Wallstedt and Oliver Caponon trail further back in the voting, expect his rookie battle to stay exciting through the playoffs. Appreciation to our sponsor for back in this episode. Do not just fall asleep. Drift into what you are listening to. S-O-L-I-SOLY-PILLOW.COM