The defender of the Ontario hockey league was sewn a photo of his mother on the lining inside his coat so that she can be close to her heart. After Bettman called his name, he embraced his father, Todd, and his brother, Johnny, all in tears.
“I generally don’t cry as much as my father and my brother,” said Schaefer. “My father is like:” Oh, you don’t cry. And then I bite my tongue, and my name is called, then they start to flow.
His father called him “crushing”. His brother called him “incredible”.
“You are proud of him, you are happy for him, then you think of who is not there,” said his father. “You cry. You smile. You are happy.
The ribbon made it even more special.
“It took me to a different level of emotions,” said his father. “It was so important to him. He wanted his mother so much here. He has his belief system. He believes she’s right next to him. But the respect that Icelanders have shown by doing this, go to this next level, I mean, when you have an organization like that, you want to work hard. You want to do everything for them. It’s just a thing of respect.
“He enjoyed it so much, and he didn’t cry like that for a long time. It’s been a long time. I think when he saw this on the jersey, it has brooded, and it’s not a bad thing.”
