Nikita Zadorov rips Isles fans after Matthew Schaefer hits

Nikita Zadorov Responds to Islanders Fans After Incident with Matthew Schaefer

Nikita Zadorov fired back at Islanders fans who criticized him following an on-ice altercation involving No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer during Tuesday night’s game at UBS Arena.

“Get out of my DMs and go to the rink to cheer for your team,” the Bruins defenseman wrote on his verified Instagram account. “That place was a library tonight.”

Zadorov shared a screenshot of direct messages he received right after the game, overlaying his response as an Instagram story.

Details of the Incident

During the second period of the Islanders’ eventual 4-3 shootout loss, Zadorov struck the 18-year-old Schaefer twice behind the Bruins’ net — first with a two-handed stick hit, then pushing him to the ice as Schaefer tried to regain footing.

This led to Islanders captain Anders Lee and Anthony Duclair confronting Zadorov, sparking a heated scrum on the ice.

Fan and Team Reactions

The crowd of 15,585 vocally expressed displeasure toward Zadorov throughout the rest of the game. Despite the arena’s 17,255 capacity, this was the fourth-highest attendance among the Islanders’ seven home games this season, with only one sellout so far.

The Islanders did not comment on Zadorov’s social media response and did not hold practice on Wednesday. The fans frequently chanted for Schaefer and goalie Ilya Sorokin during the game.

“There’s going to be battles every night,” Schaefer commented after the match.

Author’s Summary

Nikita Zadorov engaged physically with Matthew Schaefer, sparking on-ice conflict and fan backlash, which he met with a sharp social media response defending himself.

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Newsday Newsday — 2025-11-06

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