Porter Martone and Matthew Schaefer have won together. They've also battled on opposite sides.
The pair are now eyeing gold for Canada at the upcoming world junior hockey championship. And after that, the teenage stars will pivot to the next hurdle in their young careers.
The 2025 NHL draft.
Martone and Schaefer are expected to be among a handful of players in the mix for the No. 1 selection in June.
Martone is an 18-year-old power forward with a skill set teams covet. Schaefer checks in as a 17-year-old defenceman with elite ability on both sides of the puck.
"Porter is in the fabric of every game," said Hockey Canada's Peter Anholt, who heads the country's under-20 program. "You would never call him a perimeter player."
Anholt added that Schaefer's ability comes from his skating and what's between the ears.
"He defends with his feet and his hockey sense," Anholt said. "He's as elite as there is."
The six-foot-three, 208-pound Martone plays for the Ontario Hockey League's Brampton Steelheads, while the six-foot-two, 183-pound Schaefer suits up for the rival Erie Otters.
The pair also helped Canada win gold at the under-18 world championship in the spring.
"Great guy," Schaefer said of Martone. "I've got really close with him. It's super cool to do this with him."
Martone had similar praise for Schaefer.
"Tremendous hockey player and a tremendous person," Martone said. "What he does every day on the ice is pretty amazing."
Canada is expected to lean heavily on the two underagers — along with 2026 projected No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna, who turns 17 on Friday — at the tournament set to run Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Ottawa.
"A lot of golden goals," Schaefer said of his favourite world junior memories. "I loved just every Christmas, looking forward to watching with your family and cheering your country on."
Martone's on-ice success comes from a willingness to get to the middle of the rink and in front of the opposition net to torment defenders and goaltenders.
"Wins all his battles," said Canadian forward Berkly Catton, selected eighth overall by the Seattle Kraken in 2024. "He seems to get to the inside and always seems to create chances. Maybe he's not always the one shooting the puck, but he's the one banging it home.
"If you look at the NHL and who scores the most goals, it's usually those types of guys. He's going to be a very, very high pick this year and have success throughout his career."
Schaefer, who tracks on a similar trajectory at the next level, dealt with tragedy earlier this year when his mother, Jennifer, died of breast cancer. That devastating news came three months after his billet mother, Emily Matson, died by suicide.
"I look at life a lot different," Schaefer said. "I'm just happy to be here each and every day. A lot of people worry about all these little things, but honestly, I'm just happy to be here playing the sport I love."
After the tournament in the nation's capital, the attention on the two draft hopefuls will no doubt ramp up even more.
Along with the pressure.
"You get to live this draft year once," said Martone, from Peterborough, Ont. "I'm just trying to live with it and have fun with it. I'm just going to make the most of it."
Schaefer said he's enjoying the process. At the same time, the teenager is doing all he can to drown out the chatter about himself and Martone.
"You hear all these little things," said the Hamilton native. "Zone that out and just play the game and put your head down and get to work. That's just outside noise … nothing really happens until the draft comes and your name gets called.
"You really just focus on the game."
NHL teams will be watching.
HYMAN REBOUNDS
Zach Hyman's slow start to the season might have cost him a spot on Canada's roster at February's NHL 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
The Edmonton Oilers, however, are reaping the benefits of a player scorned.
Hyman, who potted 54 goals in 2023-24 before adding 16 more in the playoffs, had scored just three times across 20 games when the country's contingent was announced Dec. 4.
Since then, the forward has seven goals over his last six contests.
CALDER CHASE
Matvei Michkov appears to be the player to beat in the race for rookie of the year honours.
The Philadelphia Flyers forward had 27 points in 29 games heading into Wednesday's action.
Also in the mix following strong freshmen starts are Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Flames and Logan Stankoven of the Dallas Stars.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2024.
Joshua Clipperton's weekly NHL notebook is published every Wednesday.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
