Matthew Schaefer has absolutely, positively been as advertised.

When the New York Islanders chose him No. 1 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, there were other options. But they were set on the young defenseman from Hamilton, Ontario.

Still 18 until September, Schaefer is already an NHL star.

In 58 games this season, he has 16 goals and 23 assists. He’s a plus-9 on a team that isn’t very good. He also has 76 blocked shots.

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Schaefer would’ve been a bold choice, but he put himself in the conversation for the Canadian team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

In the end, he didn’t make the cut.

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Why didn’t Matthew Schaefer make Team Canada for Olympics?

Canada ended up going with more experience than Schaefer could offer.

It’s not his fault he’s 18, of course, and he did everything he could. It just wasn’t his time yet.

Schaefer stayed hot even after the rosters were unveiled. If the Olympics for hockey were in the upcoming summer, there’s a decent chance Schaefer would’ve played his way onto the roster by the end of the year.

For now, though, Schaefer will have to watch from home.

His hope, and certainly that of the Canadian federation as well, is that there will be plenty of Olympic hockey still in Schaefer’s future, just not this year.

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