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NHL Prospects Participating At World Junior Summer Showcase

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The dog days of summer have finally been relieved by the start of the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase. It’s one of the top junior tournaments of the year, bringing together the top players from the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland for a four-game face-off. The group features two squads from both North American countries, and is often the first chance for top 18-year-olds to play after being drafted into the NHL.

That sentiment is truer than ever in this year’s tournament as it will mark the first games of the calendar year for reigning first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer. He’ll be joined by a heap of NHL talent, both present and future. Let’s break down the players currently in NHL pipelines, or on top of the 2026 draft class, participating in this year’s showcase.

2026 NHL Draft

Gavin McKenna (F, Canada); Viggo Bjorck (F, Sweden); Ivar Stenberg (F, Sweden)

Anaheim Ducks

Lucas Pettersson (F, Sweden, 2024 #35); Eric Nilson (F, Sweden, 2025 #45); Lasse Boelius (D, Finland, 2025 #60); Tarin Smith (D, Canada, 2024 #79)

Boston Bruins

James Hagens (F, USA, 2025 #7); William Moore (F, USA, 2025 #51); Will Zellers (F, USA, 2024 #76), Elliott Groenewold (D, USA, 2024 #110); Kristian Kostadinski (D, Sweden, 2023 #220)

Buffalo Sabres

Adam Kleber (D, USA, 2024 #42); Brodie Ziemer (F, USA, 2024 #71); Luke Osburn (D, USA, 2024 #108)

Carolina Hurricanes

Filip Ekberg (F, Sweden, 2025 #221); Viggo Nordlund (F, Sweden, 2025 #183)

Calgary Flames

Cole Reschny (F, Canada, 2025 #18); Cullen Potter (F, USA, 2025 #32); Henry Mews (D, Canada, 2024 #74)

Chicago Blackhawks

Sacha Boisvert (F, Canada, 2024 #18); Marek Vanacker (F, Canada, 2024 #27); A.J. Spellacy (F, USA, 2024 #72)

Columbus Blue Jackets

Cayden Lindstrom (F, Canada, 2024 #4); Charlie Elick (D, Canada, 2024 #36); Evan Gardner (G, Canada, 2024 #60); Tanner Henricks (D, USA, 2024 #101)

Dallas Stars

Emil Hemming (F, Finland, 2024 #29); Atte Joki (F, Finland, 2025 #146)

Detroit Red Wings

Eddie Genborg (F, Sweden, 2025 #44); Max Plante (F, USA, 2024 #47); John Whipple (D, USA, 2024 #144)

Edmonton Oilers

Aidan Park (F, USA, 2025 #223)

Florida Panthers

Linus Eriksson (F, Sweden, 2024 #58)

Los Angeles Kings

Henry Brzustewicz (D, USA, 2025 #31); Carter George (G, Canada, 2024 #57); Kristian Epperson (F, USA, 2025 #88); Caeden Herrington (D, USA, 2025 #120)

Montreal Canadiens

Michael Hage (F, Canada, 2024 #21); Aatos Koivu (F, Finland, 2024 #70); Owen Protz (D, Canada, 2024 #102); L.J. Mooney (F, USA, 2025 #113)

Minnesota Wild

Ryder Ritchie (F, Canada, 2024 #45); Aron Kiviharju (D, Finland, 2024 #122); Sebastian Soini (D, Finland, 2024 #140)

Nashville Predators

Brady Martin (F, Canada, 2025 #5); Cameron Reid (D, Canada, 2025 #21); Ryker Lee (F, USA, 2025 #26); Jacob Rombach (D, USA, 2025 #35); Teddy Stiga (F, USA, 2024 #55); Jack Ivankovic (G, Canada, 2025 #58); Viggo Gustafsson (D, Sweden, 2024 #77)

New Jersey Devils

Benjamin Kevan (F, USA, 2025 #63); Kasper Pikkarainen (F, Finland, 2024 #85); Mason Moe (F, USA, 2025 #90); Daniel Nieminen (D, Finland, 2025 #163)

New York Islanders

Matthew Schaefer (D, Canada, 2025 #1); Kashawn Aitcheson (D, Canada, 2025 #17); Cole Eiserman (F, USA, 2024 #20); Kamil Bednarik (F, USA, 2024 #61); Jacob Kvasnicka (F, USA, 2025 #202)

New York Rangers

E.J. Emery (D, USA, 2024 #30); Malcolm Spence (F, Canada, 2025 #43)

Ottawa Senators

Logan Hensler (D, USA, 2025 #23); Gabriel Eliasson (D, Sweden, 2024 #39)

Philadelphia Flyers

Porter Martone (F, Canada, 2025 #6); Jack Murtagh (F, USA, 2025 #40); Shane Vansaghi (F, USA, 2025 #48); Jack Berglund (F, Sweden, 2024 #51); Spencer Gill (D, Canada, 2024 #59); Heikki Ruohonen (F, Finland, 2024 #107); Max Westergård (F, Finland, 2025 #132)

Pittsburgh Penguins

Benjamin Kindel (F, Canada, 2025 #11); Melvin Fernstrom (F, Sweden, 2024 #93); William Horcoff (F, USA, 2025 #24); Harrison Brunicke (D, Canada, 2024 #44); Mac Swanson (F, USA, 2024 #207)

San Jose Sharks

Michael Misa (F, Canada, 2025 #2); Sam Dickinson (D, Canada, 2024 #11); Joshua Ravensbergen (G, Canada, 2025 #30); Leo Sahlin Wallenius (D, Sweden, 2024 #53); Cole McKinney (F, USA, 2025 #53); Carson Wetsch (F, Canada, 2024 #82)

Seattle Kraken

Berkly Catton (F, Canada, 2024 #8); Jake O’Brien (F, Canada, 2025 #8); Blake Fiddler (D, USA, 2025 #36); Kim Saarinen (G, Finland, 2024 #88); Ollie Josephson (F, Canada, 2024 #105)

St. Louis Blues

Justin Carbonneau (F, Canada, 2025 #19); Love Härenstam (G, Sweden, 2025 #179)

Tampa Bay Lightning

Joona Saarelainen (F, Finland, 2024 #149); Caleb Heil (G, USA, 2025 #193)

Toronto Maple Leafs

Ben Danford (D, Canada, 2024 #31); Victor Johansson (D, Sweden, 2024 #120)

Utah Mammoth

Cole Beaudoin (F, Canada, 2024 #24); Will Skahan (D, USA, 2024 #65)

Vancouver Canucks

Braeden Cootes (F, Canada, 2025 #15); Wilson Björck (F, Sweden, 2025 #143)

Vegas Golden Knights

Trevor Connelly (F, USA, 2024 #19)

Washington Capitals

Cole Hutson (D, USA, 2024 #43); Nick Kempf (G, USA, 2024 #114)

Winnipeg Jets

Sascha Boumedienne (D, Sweden, 2025 #28); Alfons Freij (D, Sweden, 2024 #37)

Russia To Be Barred From 2026 Winter Olympics

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Sammi Silber of The Hockey News relays that the International Olympic Committee will officially bar the Russian Federation from participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics. It’ll mark the second consecutive Winter Olympic Games that Russia has been barred from due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Silber included a few quotes from IIHF President Luc Tardif regarding the decision. Tardif said, “The IOC is the organizer – we only deal with the competition (the hockey tournaments) itself. We have been pressuring them to make a decision, one way or another, because we’re getting closer to the Olympics and we need to know. Recently, they asked us to send them a schedule without Russia, so that’s where we are. The official statement is pending but the IOC has told us that they are informing the Russian Olympic Committee that they are not participating in the Olympics.”

It will be interesting to see how concrete the announcement will be and whether the United States and European Union’s ongoing peace efforts will impact Russia’s participation. There has been plenty of conjecture from all parties involved about the peace efforts, and there doesn’t seem to be an agreement on the horizon. Still, that could change before the Olympic torch is lit in Milan.

The news impacts the NHL and its players quite heavily. The 2026 Olympic Games were likely the last time NHL legends such as Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin would have participated as active players.

Each player’s last time participating in the illustrious international competition came more than a decade ago, in their home country. Still, Russia didn’t make it past the quarterfinals of the playoff round, losing to Team Finland. Ovechkin scored one goal and one assists in five games, while Malkin scored one goal and two assists in five games.

There’s a small chance that each player could still participate in the 2030 Winter Olympics after their NHL careers have concluded. Regardless, two of the game’s best players of all-time won’t participate in the next one.

Henrik Lundqvist, Zdeno Chára, Frans Nielsen Elected To IIHF Hall Of Fame

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Before yesterday’s gold medal game between Team Switzerland and Team USA for the 2025 IIHF World Championships, the international hockey administration inducted its 2025 Hall of Fame class. As announced by the Federation, Kai Hietarinta (Finland), Kim Martin Hasson (Sweden), and Vicky Sunohara (Canada) were all inducted, as were NHL veterans Zdeno Chára (Slovakia), Henrik Lundqvist (Sweden), Frans Nielsen (Denmark), and David Výborný (Czechia).

There’s a case in which Lundqvist is one of the most accomplished international netminders of all time, making his induction one of the easiest to pick. Lundqvist won a bronze medal in the U18 World Junior Championship, two silver medals in the World Championship, one Olympic silver medal, one gold medal in the World Championship, and a gold medal from the 2006 Olympic Games.

Throughout three Olympic Games, Lundqvist compiled a 12-3-0 record with a .926 SV% and 1.80 GAA, along with four shutouts. In the World Championships, six of which he’s been a part of, Lundqvist managed a 22-7-2 record with a .911 SV% and three shutouts.

Chara hasn’t accrued as many medals as Lundqvist, but his longevity was unmatched. Chara particpated in three Olympic Games, scoring one goal and six points in 17 games while being Team Slovakia’s captain in 2010 and 2014. In the World Championships, Chara scored eight goals and 14 points in 55 games over seven tournaments, helping Slovakia to their only silver medals in 2000 and 2012. The longtime captain for the Boston Bruins also captained Team Slovakia at the World Championships in 2012 and 2014.

Lastly, Nielsen’s Hall of Fame resume is highlighted by being the first NHL player native to Denmark. Despite participating in nine World Championship tournaments, scoring 11 goals and 26 points in 58 games, the crowning jewel to Nielsen’s international career came in 2022. Nielsen helped Denmark qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time in history, scoring two goals and one assist in five contests.

Islanders’ Bo Horvat Suffers Lower-Body Injury

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According to an announcement from the New York Islanders, forward Bo Horvat sustained a lower-body injury for Team Canada during the IIHF World Championships. The team stated that Horvat is returning to New York for evaluation from the team’s doctors.

Horvat wraps up his first international tournament in seven years with four goals and eight points in six games for Team Canada. Canada will enter the playoff round as the highest-ranked seed from the ’Group A’ Division.

While the Islanders were vague about Horvat’s injury, the team remains hopeful he can begin training camp on time. He’s been remarkably healthy since moving from Vancouver to Long Island during the 2022-23 season, appearing in 162 regular-season contests for the Islanders over the past two years.

In a separate announcement, Hockey Canada shared that they have already found Horvat’s replacement for the remainder of the tournament. Top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, Porter Martone, has joined Team Canada’s roster.

Martone is considered a safe top-five selection in this summer’s draft, and could even find his way into the top-three. He recently concluded his junior season with the Brampton Steelheads, recording 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games, along with an additional four goals and nine points in six postseason contests.

He’s no stranger to international hockey, either. Martone is only a year removed from an impressive showing at the U18 World Junior Championships for Team Canada, scoring five goals and 17 points in seven tournament games.

Metro Notes: Palát, Berard, Hollowell

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In a recent article from Todd Cordell of Infernal Access, he opines that the New Jersey Devils should look to move on from veteran winger Ondřej Palát this offseason. Whether through a buyout or trade, Cordell believes the salary cap savings could be better used to improve other areas.

Cordell’s argument is credible. Palát is making $6MM in 2025-26 and 2026-27 with a full no-movement clause and a modified 10-team no-trade clause. He hasn’t scored more than 31 points in a season since joining the Devils, and his ice time has dropped significantly over the last three years.

Assuming New Jersey is unable to find a trade partner, given the heavy trade protection, it’s likely the Devils buy out the remaining two years of Palát’s contract if they no longer want him on the team. Using PuckPedia’s buyout calculator, New Jersey would be on the hook for $3.533MM in 2025-26, $2.533MM in 2026-27, and $1.483MM in 2027-28 and 2028-29. Aside from Luke Hughes, the Devils don’t have many high-end players to retain this offseason. Should they need the extra cap savings to pursue a notable free agent, buying out Palát’s contract may be the best route.

More notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, New York Rangers forward Brett Berard has been removed from Team USA in the IIHF World Championships due to “physical limitations”. Neither Walker nor team representatives shared specifics regarding Berard’s injury, but he’s expected to be ready for the Rangers’ training camp in September.
  • In his recurring segment analyzing players within the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review recently looked at defenseman Mac Hollowell of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hollowell led all WBS defensemen in scoring this year with one goal and 31 points, but injuries limited him to only 56 games. Despite his offensive maturity in the AHL, there’s Rorabaugh doesn’t believe the Penguins will retain him, given they never recalled him this season.

Sidney Crosby Joins Team Canada, Nathan MacKinnon May As Well

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“Captain Canada” has joined Team Canada for the upcoming 2025 IIHF World Championship. Sidney Crosby will join the team for the first time since 2015, per a Pittsburgh Penguins release.

Fresh off a victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, Crosby will look to guide his home country to another victory in Europe. Crosby joins his general manager Kyle Dubas for the tournament, which is set to begin this upcoming week. This represents the third time Crosby will compete in IIHF Championships, and the first since captaining Canada to a 2015 victory. This will mark the ninth time Crosby, 37, has suited up for Canada in international play, and if it’s possible, his international résumé is every bit as impressive as his legendary NHL career. He has won gold medals at the Olympics (and scored the iconic “Golden Goal” in the 2010 games), the World Cup of Hockey (2016), the World Championship (2015), and the World Junior Championship (2005).

Crosby’s decision to join Team Canada for the tournament likely stems, at least in part, from the Penguins missing the playoffs again this season. After a career defined by deep postseason runs, the chance to play meaningful hockey well into May is surely appealing to the future Hall of Famer. Crosby’s addition makes him the oldest member of the team by nearly four years, with Ryan O’Reilly as the secondly oldest member of the team.

Crosby’s good friend and fellow Nova Scotia native Nathan MacKinnon may be joining the squad as well, after his Colorado Avalanche were eliminated in the first round by the Dallas Stars. TSN insider Darren Dreger is reporting that there is a “decent chance” MacKinnon joins Team Canada for the tournament. Like Crosby, MacKinnon is no stranger to deep playoff runs, but with an early first-round exit this year, he may seize an opportunity that’s rarely available to him.

Hockey Canada Names Coaching Staff For 2025 IIHF World Championship

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Hockey Canada has named its coaching staff for the 2025 IIHF World Championship, per a Hockey Canada release.

With two weeks to go until heading to Sweden for the tournament, Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason has been tabbed as the leader for Team Canada after serving as an assistant coach at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. The 60-year-old just finished his first season in Columbus after spending six seasons as an assistant and head coach of the Minnesota Wild. Evason appeared in 803 career games in the NHL, scoring 372 points and securing 1,002 career penalty minutes.

Joining Evason is his assistant coach in Columbus Steve McCarthy, who is set to make his international coaching debut. McCarthy had a solid run as a player in the NHL, suiting up in more than 300 games for the Blackhawks, Canucks, and Thrashers. He has been an assistant coach in the league for four seasons and also spent five years as an assistant in the AHL. Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette will also take on an assistant role, giving Evason a fellow coach with head coaching experience to rely on. Brunette had a lengthy NHL career, appearing in 1,000 games and scoring 733 career points.

Fellow NHL head coach Ryan Huska (Calgary Flames) will also join the staff, bringing additional leadership and insight to the bench. The 49-year-old appeared in one career NHL game with the Blackhawks. Before joining the Flames, he served as head coach of their AHL affiliates for four years and spent 12 years before that as an assistant coach in the AHL. Rounding out the coaching staff, Calgary’s James Emery will serve as the team’s director of performance analysis.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas, who also currently serves as Hockey Canada’s general manager, said of the coaching staff:

“Dean, Andrew, Ryan and Steve are excellent NHL coaches that bring many years of professional experience and leadership, and we are thrilled that they will lead Team Canada at the 2025 world championship,” Dubas said. “Our coaching staff will also be supported by an elite support staff that has many years of NHL experience, as well as experience at several world championships and Olympics, and we know our entire staff will create an environment for our players to succeed and wear the Maple Leaf with pride in Stockholm and Herning.”

Atlantic Notes: Pastrňák, Lauko, Xhekaj, Tavares

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Team Czechia got a boost to their repeat efforts for the 2025 IIHF World Championships. The Boston Bruins announced that star winger David Pastrňák and depth forward Jakub Lauko would play for their native country during this year’s rendition of the international competition.

It’ll be the sixth time Pastrňák has played in the tournament, as he’s usually joined Team Czechia relatively quickly after the Bruins have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. He helped Czechia win the gold medal last year, tallying one goal in four contests. Throughout his career, Pastrňák has scored 14 goals and 30 points in 32 tournament contests, additionally helping Czechia to a bronze medal in 2022.

Meanwhile, Lauko will participate in his first international tournament since the 2019-20 IIHF World Junior Championships. He was typically an unnoteworthy player in those tournaments, scoring one goal and three points in 12 games throughout three tournaments.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • Due to some extracurricular activity before Game 4 between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals, the league’s Department of Player Safety decided to bestow some punishments. The Department of Player Safety announced they’ve fined Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj $3,385.42, the maximum allowable under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, for unsportsmanlike conduct during warm-ups of yesterday’s contest. The league didn’t allude to any specific actions from Xhekaj, but he was seen exchanging words with a few Capitals players from his side of the red line.
  • Despite failing to close the series in Game 4, the Toronto Maple Leafs have avoided a serious injury to one of their top centers. According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, a concussion spotter pulled Maple Leafs forward John Tavares during overtime in Game 4, but he cleared the tests to return. The concussion spotter’s worry likely came from Tavares receiving a high hit from Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub in front of Ottawa’s net, which made contact with Tavares’ head.

West Notes: Landeskog, Copley, George, Vilardi, Ehlers, Hronek

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After flirting with an official comeback in Games 1 & 2, Gabriel Landeskog will suit up for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3. The NHL proudly announced that Landeskog will play in his first game for the first time in 1,032 days.

Landeskog’s return to the NHL minutes is one of the most remarkable comebacks in professional sports. After captaining the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, the Swedish winger underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, which is an operation more inclined to return an individual to a generic standard of mobility rather than professional sports. Through intense willpower, Landeskog was able to overcome.

It’ll be important for the rest of the Avalanche, too. Based on multiple interviews with players on the team, the void of Landeskog has been present for some time, and having him back in the lineup, even for a few shifts, should lead to intense motivation.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

  • The Los Angeles Kings have switched up their emergency third goalies for Game 2. The Kings announced they’ve recalled netminder Carter George from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, and have reassigned Pheonix Copley in a corresponding roster move. Should George play, which is incredibly unlikely, it would be the first NHL appearance of his career.
  • There are a few injury updates for the Winnipeg Jets as their opening-round series transitions to St. Louis. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reported that forward Gabriel Vilardi will travel with the team while Nikolaj Ehlers will not. Still, it’s important to note that Vilardi has yet to practice without a non-contact jersey, meaning he could remain a ways away from returning.
  • Team Czechia will have a quality defenseman join them for their IIHF World Championship gold medal repeat bid. Earlier today, it was announced that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek will join his international team for the upcoming tournament. It’ll be the first time since the summer of 2022 that Hronek has played in the tournament when he tallied two assists in 10 contests.

Evening Notes: Kane, Klingberg, Team USA, Backlund, Alexeyev

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After giving up six goals on 30 shots, it was clear throughout Game One that the Edmonton Oilers could use some reinforcements. According to Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels, that could be a realistic possibility relatively soon.

Michaels publicized a note from Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch indicating that there’s a “very good possibility” Edmonton will have forward Evander Kane and defenseman John Klingberg for Game 2 in their opening-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. Neither player offers much in the defensive zone, but could prove valuable on the Oilers’ forecheck.

Kane will be the most interesting of the two to reinsert into the lineup. Despite letting in six goals, Edmonton still produced five, meaning Kane could give them the offensive edge to win the one-goal contests if their defense and goaltending struggle. Meanwhile, Klingberg failed to garner much offensive consistency with the Oilers in limited action this year, scoring one goal and four points in 11 games.

Other evening notes:

  • Earlier today, USA Hockey announced the rest of their coaching staff for the 2025 IIHF World Championships. According to the announcement, Mike Vellucci (Pittsburgh Penguins), Kevin Dean (Chicago Blackhawks), and Adam Nightingale (Michigan State University) will serve as assistant coaches to head coach Ryan Warsofsky. Meanwhile, Thomas Speer has been named the team’s goaltending coach, while Nick Gialdini (San Jose Sharks) and Lawrence Feloney (Nashville Predators) will be the team’s video coaches.
  • On the other side of the bracket, the Calgary Flames announced an important for Team Sweden this afternoon. The Flames shared that captain Mikael Backlund will participate in the World Championships for Sweden for the first time in seven years. Backlund delivered an outstanding performance in the 2018 IIHF World Championships, scoring two goals and accumulating nine points in 10 games, which helped lead Sweden to consecutive gold medals.
  • Despite winning in overtime in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens, the Washington Capitals had an injury scare late in the third period when defenseman Alexander Alexeyev left the game due to being high-sticked by Jake Evans. Fortunately, Alexeyev’s absence will not be lengthy, as Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports he will rejoin the lineup tomorrow night. It’s an important injury update for the Capitals as the team recently lost defenseman Martin Fehérváry for the postseason due to knee surgery.

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