Matthew Schaefer has had a tremendous start to his NHL career and has already broken several records. Now, many fans are calling for him to be included on Team Canada’s roster for the Olympics. Insider Pierre LeBrun has weighed in on the discussion.
At just 18 years old, Schaefer is making major waves in the NHL, setting records seemingly every other game. In his debut, he became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record a point.
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Matthew Schaefer on Team Canada
Then, in November, the New York Islanders defenseman became the youngest defenseman in league history to score a multigoal game. His rapid rise has led to growing support for Schaefer to join the star-studded Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics, which begin on February 11 in Italy. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun has now shared his thoughts on Schaefer’s chances.
Pierre LeBrun on his chances
Speaking on TSN, LeBrun said the following about Schaefer:
“I specifically asked about Matthew Schaefer when I spoke to Doug Armstrong. His exact words were, ‘Wow, what a fantastic show to watch this year.’ His point was that this is a guy who wasn’t on the radar before the season because he had never played in the NHL, and now they’ve had to send people to scout him. So he has moved up in the eyes of Team Canada. I still think, though, that he’s 18, and Team Canada really likes a lot of the guys who played in the Four Nations— and why wouldn’t they? They’re looking at the Four Nations roster and asking, ‘Who do we really think we have to take off?’ and that’s important to remember,” LeBrun said.
You can watch the video below.
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