Overview
- Matthew Schaefer confirmed Thursday he remains on Team Canada's injury-replacement list for the 2026 Winter Olympics and is available through the pre-tournament window cited as Feb. 11.
- He was not among the eight defensemen named to the 25-man roster announced Wednesday, and he said he is ready if a call comes.
- Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong said Schaefer was not on his radar to start the season and was surprised by how quickly the 18-year-old entered selection discussions.
- Schaefer reached 10 goals at age 18 years, 118 days to set an NHL mark for defensemen and has 16 assists through 41 games for the Islanders.
- Other international updates reported by outlets note Seth Jarvis on Canada's standby list, Urho Vaakanainen available for Finland, and Cole Hutson expected to return for the United States at the World Junior Championship.