The day after its 3-2 defeat against Latvia in a shootout, the Canadian team at the World Junior Championship will have to be without one of its pillars for the remainder of the tournament. Defenseman Matthew Schaefer will miss two to three months of activities with a broken collarbone. The 17-year-old guard, projected as one of the best prospects for the next draft, fell heavily on the boards in a nasty fall. An innocuous sequence which leads to a disappointing result, while for a second consecutive year, Canada loses pieces defensively. Last year, Tristan Luneau and Tanner Malendyk were also injured.
To make up for the loss of Schaefer, Canada should recall Sawyer Mynio from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. A 19-year-old defenseman, he was a third-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks. According to Bob McKenzie, it would also be possible to see Carson Rehkpof be added to the Canadian team. Nothing is confirmed yet, but if both recalls happen, Canada’s roster would be complete. Remember that several candidates could have been the subject of recalls, such as Carter Yakemchuk and Zayne Parekh. The first, although selected in the 2024 NHL draft, will not be available next year since he was born in September.
Canada
