Young star Matthew Schaefer's rapid ascent includes Olympic drug-testing eligibility, positioning him for potential Team Canada selection in 2026.
New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer has proven rather quickly that he is going to be a superstar in this league -- if he's not one already.
His offensive game is dominant, with seven goals and eight assists through his first 20 career games. But don't let that take away from the fact that he's been one of the best shutdown defenders in the league to kick off this season.
Because of his strong play, Team Canada will have to seriously consider taking the 18-year-old.
And it looks like they have, as he's been added to the Olympic Drug-Testing Protocol, making him eligible to be selected by Team Canada, per Elliotte Friedman's latest "32 Thoughts":
"That's a long shot, and that's really far down the road," Schaefer told The Hockey News about potentially getting a chance to play in the Olympics. "I mean, there's still lots of hockey left in the NHL right now, and I think we're just focusing on that.
"Obviously, it'd be a dream come true, but I mean, there are so many talented players, and I'm still super young, so we'll see. I just got to keep playing hockey. Don't even really worry about it."
For fun, THN asked Schaefer if he remembers Sidney Crosby's Golden Goal in 2010.
"I don't know if I was even born yet," Schaefer said.
He was three years old.
"I've seen that goal a couple of times. It's a historic moment. It's pretty cool to see that. It's awesome, the Olympics. It's a very fun event, it's the best of the best. It's pretty cool."
Pierre LeBrun reported that Schaefer has officially been added to Team Canada's IOC list (90-plus players).
Whether Schaefer goes and plays big minutes for Canada or serves as an extra defenseman, there's no question that it will have a lasting impact on his development.