Luke Schenn will be staying with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 18-year-old defenceman was told by Leafs' head coach Ron Wilson before practice on Monday that he will be staying in Toronto for the foreseeable future.
Once he appears in his 10th NHL game this season, Schenn will use up the first year of his entry-level contract. If he hits the 40 game mark with the Leafs, it will count toward a year of service when it comes to filing for free agency in the future.
Should he be sent back to the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League later this season, he would not be eligible to return to the NHL unless an emergency injury situation in Toronto arose.
When asked if Schenn would be released to play for Team Canada at the World Hockey Championship in Ottawa, Leafs head coach Ron Wilson gave a quick and concise answser.
"If he's playing in the best league in the world, why would we have him go play in a teenage tournament?" Wilson said after practice on Monday.
The Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday. Schenn's 10th game would take place the following night when the Leafs visit the New Jersey Devils.
So far this season, Schenn is averaging over 21 minutes per game through eight contests.