""It's really a great story, but to get to the Olympics, I think that's still a stretch, Jay," Pierre LeBrun of TSN told Jay Onrait on SportsCentre. "I know you don't really want to hear that, but I don't think he's on Team Canada's radar at the moment.""
""Let's do some history here," LeBrun said. "It's rare for Team Canada at this level to take a chance like that. They did name a 20-year-old Drew Doughty for the 2010 Olympics, but he was 20 and in his second NHL season.""
"While we likely won't see Schaefer lacing up the Canadians in Milan come February, the fact that there are even conversations surrounding the possibility means he's made a significant impact on the ice."
The 2026 World Junior Championship will take place in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in just over two months. Questions arose about whether the New York Islanders would allow 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer to represent Canada at the tournament. Schaefer's exceptional NHL start has shifted conversation toward potential Olympic inclusion with NHL players returning to the Games. Canadian defensive depth and Hockey Canada's reluctance to name very young players make Olympic selection unlikely. Historical precedent shows Team Canada rarely risks youthful selections for Olympic rosters. Ongoing speculation reflects Schaefer's early impact in the NHL.
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