Insider says NY Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer may force his way on Team Canada

SN insider Pierre LeBrun says the NHL world is not just noticing New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer — it is stunned by how advanced the 18-year-old is this early. On SportsCentre, LeBrun called the No. 1 pick “absolutely the early front-runner for the Calder” and relayed a striking assessment from Islanders GM Mathieu Darche.

“I texted with Mathieu Darche... he just cannot believe how well he defends for an 18-year-old and what a great teammate he is,” LeBrun said. “They knew about the skating and offensive talent, but the Islanders are finding he is actually ahead of where even they had him.”

Asked about Olympic possibilities — whether Schaefer could force his way into Team Canada for Milan 2026 — LeBrun cautioned against it. “I still think that’s a stretch,” he said, noting that Canada historically does not take teenagers. He pointed to past precedent: “They didn’t take a teenage Sidney Crosby in 2006… It’s not usually the kind of leap of faith Canada takes given their depth.”

LeBrun added that Canada has already submitted its long list of roughly 90 names to the IOC for drug-testing clearance and “I don’t believe Matthew Schaefer’s name was on that list,” though he acknowledged there is a mechanism to add a player later.

LeBrun also confirmed via league sources that the NHL has cancelled the Olympic send-off event scheduled for UBS Arena this February, originally planned as a media-style showcase before players departed for Italy. “It didn’t make sense logistically,” he reported, with players finishing games Thursday and flying Saturday. The league deemed it unnecessary to stage what one source described to LeBrun as “basically a news conference on steroids.”

Instead, the Islanders will host the 2027 All-Star weekend, with format still to be determined. For now, Schaefer’s rise remains the more compelling spectacle — and the league is already treating it that way

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