Canada's Matthew Schaefer (25) leaves the ice after colliding with the net during first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship preliminary round action against Latvia in Ottawa on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

By Canadian Press

Sports

Canadian defenceman Matthew Schaefer out for rest of World Juniors due to injury

Dec 28, 2024 | 3:08 PM

Matthew Schaefer has dealt with adversity and heartache throughout his young life.

One of the top prospects for the 2025 NHL draft must now overcome yet another hurdle.

The 17-year-old defenceman will miss the rest of the world junior hockey championship after he was injured playing for Canada in Friday’s stunning 3-2 shootout loss to Latvia.

Schaefer crashed into the opposition net at ferocious speed off the rush on a power play in the first period, his left shoulder making clean contact with the goal frame.

The Hamilton product stayed down briefly inside a hushed Canadian Tire Centre before skating off and heading to the host country’s locker room.

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“Big blow to our team,” Hockey Canada’s Peter Anholt, who heads the men’s under-20 program, said Saturday at the team’s hotel in Ottawa’s west end.

“We’re going to need some better performances out of some guys on our back end. We feel we’ve got the people back there to do it.”

Schaefer, who had a goal and assist in Thursday’s 4-0 win over Finland that opened the event for both teams, is projected to be among the top picks in June’s draft.

An offensive driver from the back end thanks to an elite skating stride, he has seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points across 17 games this season for the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters after overcoming a bout of mononucleosis.

“It’s sad, you feel for him,” Canadian forward Easton Cowan said. “You don’t want that to happen to anyone.

Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio of Kamloops, B.C., will slot into the lineup for Canada, which is looking to get back on track Sunday in Group A against Germany following one of the worst defeats in the program’s history.

“Feel really bad for the guy,” Canadian defenceman Oliver Bonk said of Schaefer. “Great kid, fun being around him. He was playing amazing. It’s definitely a tough loss.”

The blueliner has experienced lots of that in recent times.

Schaefer’s mother, Jennifer, died of breast cancer in February. That devastating news came three months after his billet mother, Emily Matson, died by suicide. And then earlier this month after he made Canada’s world junior roster, mentor and Otters owner Jim Waters died of a heart attack.

“Tough kid,” Anholt said. “He’s resilient. He’ll come through this.”

The six-foot-two, 183-pound Schaefer helped his country win gold at the under-18 world championship in the spring and again at this summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

“I’m sure Schaefer would want us to win for him,” Canadian forward Bradly Nadeau said. “That’s the least we could do.”