With the 2026 Winter Olympics creeping up and Team Canada’s brain trust starting to sketch out their roster, the hockey world is buzzing about a potential youth movement. Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini turned heads this week with matching hat tricks and now sit tied for second in the NHL with 13 goals each. They’re already making a loud case for Olympic spots, but New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer's performance has been too good to ignore as well.
Just six weeks ago, the idea of Schaefer wearing a Team Canada jersey in Milan felt like fan-fiction.