She was always there.

For years, Jennifer Schaefer had a front-row seat to her son’s journey to the NHL.

It was Jennifer who strapped on the goalie pads and let Matthew and his brother Johnny fire pucks at her in the driveway of their home in a suburb outside Hamilton, Ontario. It was Jennifer who pulled Matthew out of bed before dawn, handed him breakfast and then blasted their favorite playlist in the car as they drove to hockey tournament after hockey tournament. It was Jennifer, along with her husband Todd, who encouraged their sons to work hard, treat people right and dream big.

Matthew Schaefer’s big dream will officially become a reality in Pittsburgh on Thursday night when the Islanders’ 18-year-old rookie defenseman takes the ice for his first NHL game. Schaefer’s father and br

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