OTTAWA -- Matthew Schaefer, a projected top-three pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, sustained a left shoulder injury for Team Canada and will miss the remainder of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The left-shot defenseman (6-foot-2, 183 pounds), who plays for Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, was injured at 4:25 of the first period of a 3-2 shootout loss against Latvia on Friday when he lost his balance chasing down a puck in the opponent's end before crashing into the right goal post.
Schaefer is considered the best defenseman available in the 2025 draft.
"It's unfortunate that Schaefer will miss the remainder of the World Juniors as the experience benefits every players' career, [but] this will have no impact on his draft status," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "His play from the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and to date this season has been impressive and the upside potential makes him one of the best prospects at his position and for the overall 2025 draft class."
Schaefer served as captain for gold medal-winning Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he had six points (two goals, four assists) in five games. The 17-year-old also had five points (one goal, four assists) to help Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
Schaefer was the second-youngest player on Canada's roster, two months older than forward Gavin McKenna, who isn't eligible until the 2026 NHL Draft. Schaefer is an elite skater, can quarterback a power play and will do whatever it takes to win the puck back for his team.
He scored an empty-net goal and had an assist in Canada's 4-0 victory against Finland in the country's tournament opener Thursday.
Defenseman Sawyer Mynio (Vancouver Canucks) of Seattle in the Western Hockey League was added to Canada's roster as a replacement.
Schaefer had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating in 17 games with Erie prior to leaving for World Juniors. He is one of three players in Erie history to be selected No. 1 by the franchise in the OHL draft (2023) after Ryan O'Reilly (2007) and Connor McDavid (2012).
"He's my best friend, and to see [Schaefer] go down like that after a good start to the tournament ... it just [stinks]," Canada goalie Jack Ivankovic said after the loss Friday. "We're definitely going to miss him."
Canada will play Germany in its third game of the tournament Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN).
