New York Islanders' forward Bo Horvat scored twice in their 5-4 shootout win against the Vegas Golden Knights. That earned him a postgame interview with the TNT panel.
Paul Bissonnette asked Horvat about Matthew Schaefer, A.K.A Schaef Daddy, and how he's impacted the team so far:
"Yeah, Schaef Daddy has been great," Horvat said with a chuckle. "Trust me, I listened to the podcast, and I heard that. I don't know if it's stuck as much as he wanted to, but he's been phenomenal for us. He's a hell of a kid, hell of a hockey player, and he's completely changed our team in the best way. He's so dynamic. He's such a good hockey player. And we're definitely lucky to have him."
Bo Horvat talks to the boys about the Isles solid start and "Schaef Daddy" as Biz calls him 😂 pic.twitter.com/POZSU524tF
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) December 9, 2025
Five months ago, Schaefer joined Spittin Chiclets where the Schaef Daddy nickname came to the service:
In the Islanders' shootout win, Schaefer recorded the secondary assist on Horvat's first goal of the night, giving him 22 points in 31 games with eight goals and 13 assists.
His 22 points passed Petr Svoboda (3-18—21 in 1984-85 w/ MTL) for the 10th most by an 18-year-old defenseman in a single season.
Like Horvat said, Schaefer has completely changed the dynamic of the Islanders. He's impacted every facet of their game has changed the club's timeline when it comes to how far they are away from competing for a Stanley Cup.