NY Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer enters Olympic drug testing protocol

With the 2026 Winter Olympics creeping up and Team Canada’s brain trust starting to sketch out their roster, the hockey world is buzzing about a potential youth movement. Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini turned heads this week with matching hat tricks and now sit tied for second in the NHL with 13 goals each. They’re already making a loud case for Olympic spots, but New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer's performance has been too good to ignore as well.

Just six weeks ago, the idea of Schaefer wearing a Team Canada jersey in Milan felt like fan-fiction. But then he exploded out of the gate, took over the Islanders' blue line, became the early runaway Calder favorite, and, according to SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman, was officially added to Canada’s Olympic drug-testing program, a key indicator that he’s under legitimate consideration.

“He was added to the Olympic drug-testing protocol, making him eligible to be selected by Team Canada," said Friedman. "Total credit to him. He’s been above 25 minutes 6 times in 20 games, and his arrival breathed new life into Long Island.”

That’s not nothing. That’s the real deal.

Canada’s defense for the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year featured an elite group: Cale Makar, Josh Morrissey, Devon Toews, Shea Theodore, and others. But injuries and uncertainty, especially around Pietrangelo and Theodore, mean at least one roster spot could open up. The expected names to fill that role are guys like Thomas Chabot, Brandon Montour, Jakob Chychrun, Vince Dunn, or Evan Bouchard.

And now… Schaefer is in that mix.

The 18-year-old has been everything the Islanders could’ve dreamed of and more: 15 points in 20 games, a plus-4 rating, and 22:30 a night while quarterbacking the team like a seasoned pro.

It sounds crazy, but it’s becoming a reality. Matthew Schaefer isn’t just the future of the Islanders - he might be the future and even part of the present for Team Canada, too.