LANCASTER, NY. (WKBW) — In just a few weeks, under the bright stars in Los Angeles, projected number one overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Matthew Schaefer, will see his dreams come true.
As good as things seem right now, the road here was filled with grief spawned by the passing of his hockey host mom, Emily, and then his biological mom, Jennifer, just two months later.
“My mom and everyone I’ve lost and people who have lost, I think you look back on the happy memories and not the sad memories and it makes you stronger," Schaefer said.
So with that in mind, Schaefer linked up with Western New York Compassion Connection while in Buffalo for the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine to spend some time with kids and teens who are dealing with the same struggles he’s going through.
“I love talking about my mom, and I really want to help people at the end of the day," Schaefer added. "I think that’s the biggest thing with me, I know my mom would want me to be doing this, and I know she’s smiling at me and is with me.”
“We have some children here who lost a parent less than a month ago, and for Matthew to give up his time, what a gift to us at Western New York Compassion Connection," Compassion Connection executive director Gwen Mysiak said. "But more importantly, for that room of young people who will never forget this moment.”
And while it’s almost certain that Schaefer won’t be a member of the Buffalo Sabres, it won’t stop him from coming back to this community and making a difference in the years to come.
“I will definitely be coming back here down the road a lot more," Schaefer said. "Maybe when I’m in Buffalo, I’ll stop by and see them. This is a really amazing thing they have going on here, and I love them for inviting me into their home to come and talk to people.”
For more information on Western New York Compassion Connection, visit their website.
