This season, there has been a notable number of young, talented players who are entering their rookie season.
Some are fresh from the 2025 draft, which took place in late June, or had a small taste of what the NHL experience is like, making a handful of appearances last year.
This past weekend, the NHL had all 32 NHL teams play on Saturday. It would be very challenging for fans to catch every game or moment, including several rookies who scored their first NHL goals.
Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders
The first overall pick from the 2025 draft, Matthew Schaefer, wasted no time getting his first career goal on the board. Schaefer’s first NHL goal was a power-play marker that came against the Washington Capitals, in unusual fashion.
The 18-year-old defenseman was standing near the offensive blueline when there was a pileup in front of goaltender Logan Thompson. Bodies were lying down everywhere as Capitals defensemen and New York Islanders forwards scrambled for the puck.
Eventually, the puck skewed free of the pile of players, and Schaefer charged from the blueline before diving and poking the puck in the net.
Schaefer spoke about his mom, who passed away in February 2024 following a battle with breast cancer.
“She’s up there with the hockey gods,” Schaefer said after the game. “Maybe (she) slipped them a little 20 (dollar bill) to get that goal. She’s definitely there to help.”
Zeev Buium, D, Minnesota Wild
Zeev Buium of the Minnesota Wild is another defenseman who scored their first NHL goal this past weekend. Buium’s was also on the power play, a little more traditional than Schaefer’s, though.
The 19-year-old blueliner scored his goal in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets, cutting their lead to 5-3.
Buium started the play when he received the puck at the point and rapidly inched closer to the slot before firing a wrist shot that went wide of the goal. However, Minnesota center Joel Eriksson Ek picked up the puck from behind the net and found Buium in the slot, who one-timed it home.
Buium also recorded another power-play point in that period, a secondary assist on a Kirill Kaprizov goal. The young D-man now has two points in two games this season.
Gavin Brindley, C, Colorado Avalanche
Gavin Brindley scored a big goal for the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. His first-career marker came against the mighty Dallas Stars. The Stars have seen the Western Conference final for three straight seasons and eliminated the Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year.
At any rate, Brindley’s goal put Colorado up 2-1 over Dallas at this moment. The play started as a 2-on-2 opportunity with Brindley pushing toward the slot and left winger Victor Olofsson carrying the puck on the left flank.
Olofsson made a good move in an effort to get past Stars defenseman Thomas Harley. In the process, he created a passing lane to the front of the net for Brindley, who shoved the puck through goaltender Jake Oettinger.
Sam Rinzel, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Sam Rinzel secured his first goal of the season against the Montreal Canadiens. His goal was the equalizer after Canadiens right winger Cole Caufield opened the scoring less than two minutes before Rinzel’s tally.
Rinzel’s goal came off a faceoff, won by center Frank Nazar. Nazar’s draw was directed toward left winger Teuvo Teravainen, who made a drop pass to Rinzel standing at the right point.
The 21-year-old blueliner galloped into the faceoff circle, where Nazar’s faceoff was won, and Rinzel whipped it past Habs goaltender Sam Montembeault for the first of his career.
Outside of this season, Rinzel played nine games with Chicago last season, recording five assists in that span. With this goal in the Blackhawks’ third game of the season, Rinzel has six points in 12 career NHL contests.
Ben Kindel, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
Ben Kindel has looked like a regular NHL pro in his first three career games this season. To back that up, he’s another player who bagged his first NHL goal on Saturday for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
His goal came off the rush in a solo fashion against the New York Rangers. The 18-year-old center picked up the puck neutral zone and carried it over the blueline on the right-hand side.
As he entered the right-sided faceoff circle in the Penguins’ offensive zone, he fired the puck on the short side of goaltender Igor Shesterkin, tying the game for Pittsburgh in the second period.
Like Schaefer, Kindel is one of the few players from the 2025 draft to play this season. Only Brady Martin of the Nashville Predators and Braeden Cootes of the Vancouver Canucks join them in that category.
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