He's not complaining about the commute though. It's a heck of a lot easier than where he had to go to play last year.
"It's about a three-hour drive," said Schaefer. "Compared to 12-hour flights to Russia, it's not too bad."
Schaefer, 30, spent last season playing in the Kontinental Hockey League, going 6-10-1 with a 2.66 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage in 22 games with CSKA Moscow.
"It's a different experience," said Schaefer of playing in Russia. "It's just a different culture, different people. The hockey was awesome, but you're not afforded some of the same things that you are here in the United States. It was hard to get used to. The style [of play] was different for me, but I hope I can bring some of that back and combine it with some of my North American [techniques] and use it for some good this season."
On the ice, the biggest adjustment was in learning how to wait out opposing forwards, who tended to hold on to the puck longer, looking for openings on the bigger Olympic-sized ice surface.
"It took some time [to get used to it]," said Schaefer. "The guys over there have a lot of patience. [They take] a little bit more time with the puck it seems like. It's not quite as fast, but you still have to concentrate a lot. You still have to get to shots quick, it's just that they tend to hold on to the puck a little bit more. It's just a completely different style of play. I definitely picked some things up. Some things I'm going to have to get rid of and some things I'm going to try to combine with what I have.
"With the way they're really patient and waiting for guys to make their move, sometimes you can play deeper back in the net," added Schaefer. "But here I find it a lot quicker and guys get their shots off quicker, so I might have to stay out more and be on top of my angles. There are a few things like breakaways that are completely different."
Off the ice, things were even stranger.
"The language is really hard to learn," said Schaefer. "The letters are really complicated. I did the best I could and I actually picked up a few things language-wise."
Finding something familiar to eat could be even harder than finding someone to talk to.
"For food, Moscow is a big city, you can get what you want, but it's expensive," said Schaefer. "And on the road it was tough. Some of the cities you go to, they just don't have what we're used to. I found myself bringing some bag lunches a lot of days.
"Overall, it was a different experience and I'm happy I got the chance to do it."
Schaefer is even happier to be back in North America, especially with a chance to play close to home. He's actually a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, but played at Providence College and eventually settled down in New England.
"I was just really excited about coming here," said Schaefer. "I played at Providence College, so I know the Northeast pretty well and I'm just really excited to be part of an organization that has such a hockey history. I have a lot of friends and people that live around here and it's really close to my home, so just overall, I'm really excited."
The one thing that would make Schaefer even more excited would be another shot at playing in the NHL. A fifth-round draft pick by San Jose in 2000, he made it up for seven games with the Sharks in 2005-06. But despite going 5-1-0 with a 1.88 GAA, .920 save percentage and one shutout, he hasn't gotten into another NHL game since.
"I can't lie and say it's not frustrating," said Schaefer. "I played good in San Jose and was never really given another shot. I played a couple years for Minnesota and I had a couple good years and got called up a few times, but I never really got another chance to play in the NHL."
After his NHL debut in 2005-06, he spent the following season bouncing between three different AHL clubs. He then played two seasons for Minnesota's AHL affiliate in Houston, and while he was recalled on five different occasions, he did not appear in a game for the Wild before departing for Russia last year.
His NHL prospects don't look much better with the Bruins, who boast one of the top tandems in the NHL with 2009 Vezina winner Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask, who unseated Thomas as the club's starter last year and led the NHL in GAA and save percentage.
"I think they have great goalies here," said Schaefer. "They have a lot of depth in goaltending with the young guys here, so it's really going to push me to pick up my game. We'll see what happens but hopefully I'll get my chance."
Schaefer is expected to start the year in Providence but could be a valuable insurance policy if either Thomas or Rask is injured during the season.
"I've been in this position for a long time," said Schaefer. "I know what can happen if guys get hurt. You just have to keep an even keel. That's the biggest part of being a goalie. You're going to win some games and lose some. You let in some bad goals, it's going to happen. But if you can stay as balanced as you can, it's going to be a more positive experience for you."
Schaefer also knows he could benefit from being around Thomas, who had to spend eight years in the minors and Europe himself before finally getting a shot at regular playing time in the NHL.
"I haven't had a chance to talk to him too much, but he's an awesome guy from what I can tell," said Schaefer of Thomas. "My wife actually brought that up to me. She read something about him and said, 'Wow, what a story.' I knew of him, because I was in Providence when he was going back and forth from Europe and coming back to the Bruins. So obviously he has a great work ethic and a lot of goalies idolize him for what he's accomplished. I think it's a great opportunity to play with him."
Schaefer also knows a bit about the Bruins, as his brother Peter played in Boston in 2007-08 before being sent to Providence the following year and having the final year of his contract bought out last summer. Peter Schaefer hasn't played since, and not even his brother is sure whether he'll try to make a comeback anytime soon.
"I'm not sure what he's going to do," said Nolan Schaefer. "He's a pretty secretive guy. I don't know what's going to happen. We'll see. I hope he does [play again]."
