Canada adds Mynio to World Junior roster after Schaefer exits with apparent injury
Published
Team Canada made a change to its roster for the World Juniors on Friday evening, adding defenceman Sawyer Mynio to the roster list.
Per the IIHF roster page, Mynio was added to the roster following Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to Latvia where defenceman Matthew Schaefer suffered an apparent injury in the first period.
While chasing a puck down in Latvia's zone, Schaefer lost balance and crashed into the Latvian goal post, and moved gingerly to the bench before departing the game.
"The loss [to Latvia], that's one thing, but the loss of Schaefer, assuming he's injured ... That's tough," TSN's Mark Masters said after the game.
"He has been an amazing player to start this tournament for Team Canada, perhaps their best defenceman," Masters added of Schaefer.
Schaefer recorded an empty-net goal and an assist in Canada's 4-0 victory over Finland to open the tournament on Thursday.
Jack Ivankovic, who started the loss against Latvia in net for the Canadian side, told Masters that Schaefer is "my best friend," and that Canada is "going to miss him," though the team did not provide any firm update on the defenceman's status.
Mynio, meanwhile, is a Vancouver Canucks prospect and will be making his Team Canada debut when he sees his first action of the tournament.
"Obviously not a lot of people know me," Mynio said before the tournament. "I haven't done any Hockey Canada [tournaments], U17s, or 18s, things like that. I made the one that counts."
"You kind of just black out [when you hear the news]," the 19-year-old from Kamloops, B.C. said. "It felt like the draft again."
Canada will have a chance to rebound from the loss when they battle Germany in their next game on Sunday.