LOS ANGELES — After Matthew Schaefer pulled the blue-and-orange sweater over his head at the NHL draft, his eyes already glistening with tears, he glanced down at his left shoulder and saw a pink ribbon.

The symbol of breast cancer awareness was the Islanders’ tribute to his mother, Jennifer, who died of the disease just 16 months ago.

The No. 1 pick kissed the ribbon and modestly pointed to the sky, paying a poignant tribute to the woman who raised this boy into the man he’ll soon become — and who will accompany him on every step of his bright hockey future.

The Islanders selected the gifted 17-year-old defenseman first overall Friday night, kicking off an NHL draft with a beautiful moment felt across the breadth of the sport.

“I appreciate you taking a chance on me,” Schaefer said in a video conference call with the Islanders’ front office. “I promise I won’t disappoint, but especially I just want to say to my mom and all my family and friends, thanks for everything.”

The Islanders maneuvered their way into three picks in the top 17, but they surprised nobody by using their first No. 1 selection since 2009 on Schaefer. The 6-foot-2 blueliner from Hamilton, Ontario, with exceptional puck-moving ability and strong defensive skills spent the past two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, growing into an irresistible choic

Schaefer persevered through tragedy to reach this moment. Along with the loss of his mother, he also endured the recent deaths of the Otters’ owner, Jim Waters, and the mother of his billet family.

The Islanders added the ribbon patch to the ceremonial jersey specifically for Schaefer, along with his mother’s initials on the sweater collar.

“Seeing the ribbon on my jersey, and I saw a picture, it has J.S. on my back here,” Schaefer said. “You can see just how high-class the organization is. It really means a lot. I wish my mom could be here today. Obviously, she’s with me here in spirit. ... Cancer sucks, and it’s not fun. She didn’t feel the best, but she was always the happiest in the family. She would do anything for us.”

Schaefer scored 22 points while playing in only 17 games last season before breaking his collarbone in December. His acumen on both ends of the ice still propelled him to the top of nearly all draft boards.

Schaefer is just the fifth defenseman picked No. 1 overall in the NHL draft since 2000, and the first since Owen Power went to the Sabres in 2021. Schaefer also is the second Erie product to go No. 1, joining Connor McDavid in 2015.

“First and foremost, we drafted him because he’s an unbelievable hockey player,” Isles general manager Mathieu Darche said. “Obviously, the human being is exceptional. (For) a 17-year-old to have that resilience, maturity with everything that he’s gone through is beyond impressive, honestly.

“I haven’t met many 17-year-old kids that act like him. But at the end of the day, we’re drafting him because he’s a hell of a hockey player.”