Nikita Zadorov Responds to Islanders Fans After Incident with Matthew Schaefer
Nikita Zadorov addressed Islanders fans who criticized him following a confrontation with 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 immediately after the game, overlaying it with the message on his Instagram story.
Details of the Incident
Midway through the second period in the Islanders’ 4-3 shootout loss, Zadorov delivered a two-handed stick hit to 18-year-old Schaefer behind the Bruins’ net. As Schaefer tried to regain his footing, Zadorov pushed him again, which led captain Anders Lee and Anthony Duclair to confront Zadorov. This escalated into a chaotic scrum on the ice.
Zadorov was penalized with a double-minor for roughing and an additional two minutes for interference. He continued an intense exchange with Lee while both were in the penalty box.
Fan and Team Reactions
- The crowd of 15,585 voiced their dissatisfaction with Zadorov throughout the rest of the game.
- Tuesday’s attendance at the 17,255-capacity arena was the fourth highest among seven home games this season, with one sellout so far.
- The Islanders did not comment on Zadorov’s social media post and skipped practice on Wednesday.
- Fans loudly chanted for Schaefer and goalie Ilya Sorokin during the game.
“There’s going to be battles every night,” Schaefer commented after the game.
Author’s summary: Zadorov clashed physically and verbally with Matthew Schaefer and Islanders fans, intensifying tensions during a closely contested game at UBS Arena.