Islanders’ Bo Horvat makes Canada’s Olympics roster, Matthew Schaefer left off

Bo Horvat is headed to Milan. Matthew Schaefer will need to wait and see.

Horvat was named to Team Canada’s 25-man Olympic squad on Thursday, marking the first time he’ll represent his country in best-on-best competition. Schaefer is likely on the list of potential injury replacements, meaning he’d only go to Milan if one of the eight defensemen named to Canada’s roster get hurt between now and Feb. 5, when the NHL plays its final games before the Olympic break. But Canada did not officially reveal the names on its standby list.

“If I get there, it’d be a dream come true,” Horvat said Tuesday before the announcement. “At the same time, if not, there’s so many great hockey players in this country that we’re gonna have a great team no matter what.”

A year ago, Horvat was, at best, on the outskirts of the competition for a 4 Nations roster spot. He worked his way into the picture for the Olympics starting by playing in World Championships this summer for Canada. That roster included Sidney Crosby, Macklin Celebrini, Nathan MacKinnon and Travis Sanheim, all of whom were named to the Olympic team, and Horvat finished the tournament with eight points in six games.

His scoring continued apace throughout the first half of the season. In 35 games — he was absent for five games due to injury this month — he’s scored 21 goals, ranking ninth in the NHL. Many came in front of Canada’s management team, which was frequently spotted watching Islanders games from the press box as it debated his inclusion. Horvat said Tuesday he was never told in advance when they were scouting.

“I’m so happy I didn’t [know]. You don’t want that extra thought in your mind,” Horvat said. “Your number one thing is to help the team win. Whatever happens after that, it is what it is. You got word of it they were there after the game, which was great in those situations. I was happy nobody said anything before.”

If Horvat was viewed as having an outside shot before the season started — he was invited to Canada’s select camp over the summer — then Schaefer would have had Buster Douglas-esque odds.

The 18-year-old rookie’s transcendent play, though, only got him as far as the bubble. With Canada taking all eight defensemen who played for it in 4 Nations — a group that built up trust in winning gold last February over the United States on Connor McDavid’s overtime goal in Boston — it’s not immediately obvious what Schaefer could have done to place himself on the right side of the cut line.

With over a month of the regular season remaining before NHL players depart for Italy, though, it is certainly possible that Schaefer, the ninth defenseman out of eight, is ultimately called upon in the end.