Islanders' #1 pick Matthew Schaefer to undergo Olympic drug-testing protocol

The kids are alright.

Youngsters Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer are all having outstanding starts to the 2025-26 season and are gaining the attention of Hockey Canada management.

Bedard and Celebrini have already been included on Team Canada's preliminary training camp roster, but 18 year old Schaefer was left off the roster when it was announced earlier this season. Now though, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reports that Hockey Canada has added Schaefer to its list and he'll now undergo Olympic drug-testing protocol to officially make him eligible for play.

From Friedman's most recent 32 Thoughts column:

All of that discourse and didn’t even mention Matthew Schaefer. As impressive as Bedard and Celebrini are, Schaefer’s ascension to this discussion is mind-blowing. He was added to the Olympic drug-testing protocol, making him eligible to be selected by Team Canada. Total credit to him. He’s been above 25 minutes six times in 20 games, and his arrival breathed new life into Long Island. You can’t tell me his positive aura isn’t an important factor in their rise to a .600 points percentage.

As impressive as Schaefer has been this season, he'll still be in tough to crack the team's top 6.

Canada is expected to trot out the likes of Cale Makar, Josh Morrissey, Drew Doughty, Shea Theodore, Devon Toews, Thomas Harley, Travis Sanheim and Colton Parayko as their defence corps. So again... Schaefer will be in tough. I would imagine that Makar, Morrissey, Doughty and Toews are absolute locks. Beyond that things are up for grabs a bit, but Schaefer will have his work cut out for him.