The Hlinka Gretzky Cup signals that hockey season is right around the corner. It’s a chance to see the next generation of stars for the first time ahead of their draft season.
The event is still ongoing in Edmonton, with the final four teams in place. Canada, the Group A winner, will take on the United States late Friday evening, following a clash between Czechia, the Group B winners, and Sweden. Canada advanced to the medal rounds without problems, going 3-0-0 in the round robin with wins over Switzerland (10-0), Slovakia (5-1) and Sweden (2-1).
The offence was flowing and chances were limited at the other end. Captain Matthew Schaefer played a significant role in executing both tasks and is showing why he is the top-ranked defenceman for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Schaefer isn’t unfamiliar with captaining the Maple Leaf on the international stage, making him a great fit to wear the “C” at the tournament this year.
Schaefer captained Team Canada White at the U17 World Championship in 2024. Despite not winning a game in regulation in the round robin, he guided his team to the championship, beating the USA in the final. Later that year, he won another gold with Canada as an underage player at the U18 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
“It’s an honour (to wear the C for Canada). Every kid wants to be a Leaf growing up and to wear the C — it’s pretty cool,” Schaefer said. “We have so many leaders in the dressing room that it could be anyone. Everyone has a say, and (the C) is something that just goes on your jersey because we have so many leaders in our room.”
While Schaefer remained humble about his leadership in the dressing room, nobody else in the tournament has shown the same level of skill that he possesses.
Schaefer’s three-point game on opening night versus Switzerland, followed by assists against Slovakia and Sweden, has him first among defencemen in points with five. His points came at pivotal times, too, especially in the last two games.
The assist against Slovakia came on the fourth goal, but the Slovaks were pressing hard at the time, so getting that goal eased the pressure. It was an even closer game last night against Sweden, but Schaefer’s drive to the net and quick pass over to Benjamin Kindel gave Canada a 1-0 lead.
“He’s a special player, but he’s also a great leader for us,” said Canadian goaltender Jack Ivankovic. “He’s just an all-around great guy. His will to lead the group and carry himself like a pro, it’s pretty cool to have him here.”
“He’s a great leader,” echoed Canada forward Brady Martin. “You can’t ask for a better leader than him. He’s always positive and gets the boys going. On the ice, he’s an unreal player, too, so you can’t ask for a better leader than Schaef.”
Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis has Schaefer ranked fifth. Ellis stated that he is an incredible skater and is always actively engaged at both ends of the ice. Offensively, Schaefer has real potential, but he’s also positionally sound and aggressive in his own zone. “I’m not sure he’s a lock to be the first defender taken, but I think he’s got the upper edge in a year that won’t be as dominated by high-end blue liners as 2024 was,” Ellis said.
Will Edmonton fans ever see him in Copper and Blue? Probably not anytime soon. Unless Stan Bowman can pull off a Ryan McLeod for Matthew Savoie kind of trade in a few years.
But there are a couple more chances to watch him as he looks to lead his team to Hlinka Gretzky Cup glory.
