Top prospect Matthew Schaefer to miss three months due to injury: report
Matthew Schaefer, a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, will miss the next three months recovering from an injury sustained at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com.
Schaefer sustained broken clavicle in a 3-2 shootout loss against Latvia on Dec. 27. He left the game after striking the goal post on a rush opportunity four minutes into the first period and did not return.
“Update on NHL Draft eligible D Matthew Schaefer: I can confirm the top projected top defenseman of the 2025 NHL Draft did sustain a broken clavicle (collarbone) in Friday’s loss vs Latvia, had successful surgery on Monday in Ottawa (12/30), & will be out for at least 3 months,” Morreale wrote in a tweet Thursday.
Ouch! 🤕
Lourde chute dans la bande pour Matthew Schaefer, qui a quitté et qui n’est toujours pas de retour dans le match 🇨🇦
📺 : RDS#MondialJunior | #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Gr7mjU6sVJ
— RDS (@RDSca) December 28, 2024
The 17-year-old underwent successful surgery on Dec. 30, per Morreale, and isn’t expected to return until the spring.
Schaefer, No. 1 in FCHockey’s Winter ranking for the 2025 draft, had two points (one goal, one assist) for Canada at the World Juniors, and 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 games with Erie in the Ontario Hockey League this season.
“The loss of Schaefer is a huge one from all angles,” FCHockey scout Mike Kennedy said. “First and foremost, I really feel for him. He was starting to gain traction as the potential No. 1 selection. While that still could be the outcome, this injury delivers a massive blow to those hopes. The Otters are now without their cornerstone defenseman that drives play and impacts games in a positive way, too. It’s a big loss for the OHL in general as he is the type of high-end talent that boosts attendance and generates excitement.”