2025 World Juniors Notebook: Life without Matthew Schaefer
OTTAWA, Ontario — On Day Three of the 2025 World Junior Championships, just two games were on the schedule.
First, Czechia ran away with the victory against Kazakhstan, scoring 14 goals on 36 shots. To close the day, Latvia fell to USA, but still captured the hearts of fans with their gritty performance.
Though Canada wasn’t involved in either game, the host nation dominated the discussion.
What's next for Schaefer-less Canada?
On the heels of the historic shootout defeat at the hands of Latvia, word came down early in the morning that top 2025 draft-eligible prospect, Matthew Schaefer, would be shut down for the duration of the event due to a broken collarbone. This is a bigger hit to Canada’s gold medal chances than the defeat they suffered.
Schaefer's skill set is a unique one on Canada’s blueline. The back end was already limited in the players who could create offence through activations, lateral agility, and playmaking. Now, they’re nearly crippled in that regard.
The team had some options. Because they waited to register their three healthy scratches (Sawyer Mynio, Carson Rehkopf, and Carson Bjarnason) the option was there to airlift in a different player to replace Schaefer. Perhaps a player who could do the things that Schaefer can do. Instead, the team decided to dance with the one who brought them here and activated all three scratches to complete their roster. That means Mynio will draw into the lineup and Canada will roll with seven defenders for the remaining games (barring another pre-medal-round injury).
The backseat GMs and coaches have been out in full force with this development. Many shouting from the rooftops that Calgary Flames’ top prospect, Zayne Parekh or Ottawa Senators’ top prospect, Carter Yakemchuk should be on this team and ready to step into Schaefer’s now-departed spot.
And justifiably so. One NHL Executive told Elite Prospects, “It’s unconscionable that the country’s top offensive defenceman isn’t available to them. They even had a second chance to make up for the mistake, but didn’t.”
The team cancelled their practice slot on Saturday, opting instead to give the players a day off to rest and refocus ahead of their next match against Germany. But the big question is what are they going to do to fix a stagnant power play which has been mostly ineffective through two games.
One source indicated to Elite Prospects that the plan internally for Canada moving forward is to unshackle Sam Dickinson and allow him to quarterback the top unit while moving Oliver Bonk back to his normal spot in the bumper.
It's James Hagens' world and we're all just living in it
After dropping two goals and two assists in the opener, James Hagens came back with two primary helpers against Latvia to sit second in tournament scoring with six points in two contests. Five of those points have been primary.
We knew this was a likely scenario to unfold. Seeing action on the top line and top power play unit with his Boston College buddies, Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, the opportunities were bound to be prevalent. But it’s not just the production that has impressed scouts early on in Ottawa, it’s been the poise, the intelligence, and the play-driving.
“He’s showing on a big stage that he’s the best forward in this class.” one NHL scout told Elite Prospects. When pressed on whether they feel Hagens is also the best player in the class, the response was, “It depends on which team you ask.”
To put into perspective just how dominant a start this has been for Hagens, the point record for American draft-eligible players at this event is 13 points in six games set nearly 50 years. Hagens is currently on pace for 21 – the same amount he scored in seven games at the U18s last spring.
Czechia with two touchdowns
Over at the other rink, Czechia put on a show against Kazakhstan, scoring 14 goals in total, including an 8-goal second period. Three players recorded hat tricks – Vojtěch Hradec (Utah Hockey Club), Jakub Stancl (St. Louis Blues), and Matej Mastalirsky (2025 draft eligible).
The Czechs roll into their match against rival Slovakia on a heater and will look to at least secure second place in Group B and avoid a quarterfinals meeting with either Canada or the USA.
Tomorrow's Schedule:
Switzerland vs. Sweden - 12:00pm ET
USA vs. Finland - 2:30pm ET
Czechia vs. Slovakia - 5:00pm ET
Canada vs. Germany - 7:30pm ET
