The World Junior Summer Showcase is an event I have circled on my calendar each year. After several long weeks without hockey, it’s an oasis in the desert. It heralds the start of a new hockey season.
What is the World Junior Summer Showcase? It’s an exhibition of top under-20 players hosted by the United States National Team in Plymouth, Mich. Participating countries play a handful of games against each other in a round robin format starting in the last week of July.
While there is no trophy on the line at the showcase, it serves as a vital summer benchmark for national teams in evaluating their players before they disperse to their club teams in the fall. In the months ahead, teams will make their final roster decisions before reconvening in December for the World Junior Championship.
The showcase holds appeal beyond the World Juniors too. For draftniks, the showcase features a handful of premier 17-year-old prospects we’ll see selected in spring. And, for those of us in the Pacific Northwest, this year’s event highlighted several Seattle Kraken drafted prospects in prominent roles.
What did we see at the event and specifically from the Seattle Kraken prospects? Let’s dive in.
2024 World Junior Summer Showcase overview
Four teams participated in the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase. Canada returned to the showcase after a multi-year absence, joining the United States, Sweden, and Finland. Canada and the United States maintained split-squad game rosters to begin their respective training camps, which they whittled down to a single team for the final few games of the showcase. Canada spent the majority of the last two weeks at its camp in Windsor, Ontario, before playing games in Plymouth on August 2 and 3.
The showcase featured 112 drafted players. The Seattle Kraken had six prospects play in games, second only to the Philadelphia Flyers who had seven players at the event. Overall, 31 NHL teams had players in Plymouth; only Edmonton didn’t have a player there.
In addition, each country roster had at least a few draft-eligible players. For example, Team USA played five players who may hear their names called in the 2025 NHL Draft, including James Hagens, Logan Hensler, and L.J. Mooney.
Seattle Kraken prospects at the showcase
Finland brought three Kraken players, goalie Visa Vedenpää, goalie Kim Saarinen, and forward Julius Miettinen. Vedenpää played in the 2023 showcase. Sweden brought forward Zeb Forsfjäll, who also participated last year. Canada played defenseman Caden Price and forward Berkly Catton in its showcase games and also had Carson Rehkopf at its training camp, but did not bring him to Plymouth for the main event.
Berkly Catton, F, Canada
Catton, Seattle’s 2024 first-round pick, carried over his strong play at Kraken Development Camp into the World Junior Summer Showcase. He only played one showcase game–Canada’s marquee contest against the United States–but his pace, problem solving, and passing stood out even against this elite competition. There are technical aspects of his skating he can continue to refine, but his legs and brain are at a different level than his peers. Particularly on the power play and in 3-on-3 overtime, he was a threat every time he touched the puck.
I thought Catton was Canada’s best skater at the showcase. Several prominent analysts, including Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, agreed.
Summer verdict: Catton is well regarded in Canada. Notably, he was the captain of Team Canada’s U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last year. But, coming into the showcase, I wasn’t sure what to make of Catton’s World Juniors prospects given his small stature and relative youth as an “underager”–meaning he is age eligible for not only the 2025 World Junior Championship but the 2026 tournament as well. Now, I’m virtually certain Catton makes Canada’s World Juniors roster and plays a top-six scoring forward role. Particularly since Canada is likely to be without Macklin Celebrini, Catton projects as a vital piece.
Caden Price, D, Canada
Canada brought a total of 11 bubble defensemen to the showcase, and Price, Seattle’s 2023 third-round pick, figures somewhere into the middle or bottom of that grouping talent-wise. Price activates well and flashes talent in the offensive zone, but his play-to-play consistency isn’t quite there yet, in my opinion. And he gets caught puck watching and chasing too much in the defensive zone for my liking.
Summer verdict: There are a lot of tools here, and he looks a lot more physical this year than he did at this time last year. But, absent a production breakout this fall, I don’t think he’s shown enough to make Team Canada’s talented WJC roster.
Carson Rehkopf, F, Canada
Rehkopf, a 2023 second-round pick, carried his scoring prowess from the OHL into Team Canada training camp, potting three goals in two games in Windsor, Ontario–including one off a slick assist from Catton.
Rehkopf continues to be a lethal off-puck, spot-up shooter–like a corner wing player in the NBA. Add to that some solid skill transitioning the puck into the offensive zone, and you have a player primed for another big offensive season. (Rehkopf will likely play this coming year with the Brampton Steelheads after an August 6 trade from Kitchener.)
Rehkopf, who is a veteran of the 2024 World Juniors, did not accompany Team Canada when it de-camped for Plymouth. I view this as a strong indication that he is a virtual roster lock for the main team in December.
Summer verdict: He’s on Team Canada and in a top-six role. Canada looked at one line combination in camp that put him next to Catton. I’m sure Kraken fans would love to see that in December (and beyond).
Visa Vedenpää, G, Finland
Vedenpää, Seattle’s 2023 sixth-round pick, played in last year’s showcase alongside another Kraken goalie prospect Niklas Kokko. Kokko took control of the starting job at the 2023 showcase and carried that momentum into the 2024 World Juniors, where he was the clear starter to begin the event.
Vedenpää started three of five games at this year’s showcase, winning one of three decisions and saving 83 of 96 shots against. On the plus side, he almost single-handedly stole a win from Team USA in which USA outshot Finland 42 to 26 and even more thoroughly dominated the high-danger opportunities. On the other hand, Vedenpää was pulled from his last start against Canada after conceding seven goals in just over two periods. Overall, the raw numbers don’t look good, but I think that was more about Finland’s defensive stuggles than poor play from Vedenpää
While Vedenpää has a solid shot at Team Finland’s roster for the 2025 World Juniors, his club play this fall will go a long way toward deciding whether he has a chance to be the starter. He has a chance to earn Liiga ice time this fall with Kärpät.
Summer verdict: Vedenpää should make the 2025 World Juniors roster. I’ll predict Eemil Vinni gets the first start for Finland, while Vedenpää is a threat to take the job if Vinni struggles. Regardless, Vedenpää should get at least one start in pool play. Noa Vali is the other goalie contender here.
Kim Saarinen, G, Finland
Saarinen, fresh off signing an entry-level contract with the Kraken, started Finland’s last showcase game against the United States. He picked up a win, saving 17 of 20 shots in that game. He also saved all seven shots he faced when entering another game in relief of Finland’s other goalie, Veeti Louhivaara.
Like Vedenpää, Saarinen has his sights set on earning playing time in Liiga this coming season. But it is worth noting that Saarinen is an “underage” prospect in World Juniors parlance. 14 months younger than Vedenpää, Saarinen is likely a stronger candidate for the 2026 tournament, but a dominant fall could accelerate his timeline.
Summer verdict: Saarinen probably won’t be an active goaltender at the 2025 World Juniors. It’s possible, but I’d say still unlikely, he’s there as a third goaltender on the roster. Looking forward to the 2026 event, he’s a leading contender to start.
Julius Miettinen, F, Finland
Similar to Saarinen, Miettinen is age-eligible for the next two World Junior Championships. Miettinen, a second-round pick this past draft, began the showcase as a healthy scratch, before drawing in for two games midway through the showcase. He didn’t look out of place, but he also didn’t make an immediate impact.
This quiet play didn’t surprise me. At this point in his development, Miettinen plays a complimentary game. He does his best work on the forecheck and creating space and opportunity for his linemates off the puck. If he is going to take the next step, he needs to be a little more comfortable possessing the puck on controlled exits and entries and driving play in the offensive zone. This is what I’ll be watching for this fall with Everett.
Summer verdict: Like Saarinen, Miettinen likely won’t be on Team Finland this year but is a strong contender for the 2026 squad.
Zeb Forsfjäll, C, Sweden
Forsfjäll has been a fixture on Sweden’s international teams for years, played in the 2024 World Junior Championship, and brings 75 games of SHL experience. That said, Seattle’s 2023 sixth-round pick is more of an elite glue guy than a high-end talent. He can take difficult defensive matchups, win face-offs, and kill penalties. And, at this year’s showcase, he earned time as the bumper player on Sweden’s first power play unit too.
All told, Forsfjäll is a key figure for Sweden–even if he doesn’t figure to add much offensively. He donned the “C” as Sweden’s captain in the team’s showcase finale against rival Finland and wore the “A” as an alternate captain in other contests.
Summer verdict: He’ll be on the World Juniors team, likely in a leadership position. Just don’t expect many points.
Showcase takeaways
Buium shines. While Catton was Canada’s best player at the showcase, in my opinion, U.S. defenseman Zeev Buium was the best player overall at the event. Many had linked Buium to the Kraken in the 2024 NHL Draft–myself included–but Seattle bypassed the defender in favor of Catton. Buium will likely be the No. 1 defenseman for the United States at the World Junior Championship.
U.S. team looks strong. This wasn’t the unanimous takeaway among analysts, but the U.S. looks like the favorite at the 2025 World Junior Championship to me. Even if the San Jose Sharks don’t release center Will Smith to play in December, the U.S. talent pool at forward is impressive, headlined by returning stars Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard. Some have questions about the team’s depth at center and on defense, but I don’t view those areas as significant weaknesses. In any event, I think the squad scores its way out of any problems. The U.S. has never repeated as champions at the World Juniors. Coming off their 2024 tournament win, this team has a chance to make history.
Canada needs a boost. Beyond Catton, there weren’t many players in a Canadian uniform generating instant offense by themselves. Underager Gavin McKenna–who’ll be barely 17 years old at the time of the World Juniors–could be a crucial piece for Canada if he’s on the team. Canada also needs one of its goaltenders to step up and seize the role. Carson Bjarnason took a step in that direction with a solid performance against the United States in the showcase finale.
Up next: The Hlinka Gretzky Cup
What’s next in the hockey world? Before players report to their club teams in a few weeks, there is one major international tournament on the schedule–the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. This late-summer tournament features under-18 players and is an important pre-season level-setting look at prospects for the NHL Draft in the spring.
While there aren’t any drafted prospects at this tournament, there are local connections. Braeden Cootes, a 5-foot-10 forward on Team Canada, plays with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Cootes totaled 14 goals and 21 assists in 64 games for Seattle last season. Likewise, Jackson Smith, a 6-foot-3 defenseman on Canada’s roster, plays for the Tri-City Americans. Smith amassed eight goals and 21 assists in 62 games for Tri-City this past year. Ondrej Stebetak, a 6-foot-2 goaltender on Czechia’s roster, plans to play for the Portland Winterhawks this coming season after playing junior hockey in his home country previously.
The puck dropped at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Monday, and the games continue all week. NHL Network is carrying select games in the United States.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
I saw the Rehkopf trade yesterday and was wondering…
Did Kitchener trade him away anticipating he won’t be available due to the “likelihood” he’ll make the Kraken squad or were there other factors? I don’t follow Junior, so I have no idea about the circumstances, but I’m curious about the particulars of the move.
Also, I don’t think the Catton/Buium comparisons will ever go away for me… and I think you, Curtis, might be of the same mind. It’s one thing to fret about “missing out” on a player that you could have picked, but the nature of this comparison is something else.
Go Kraken!!!
I don’t follow the OHL closely enough to be certain, but often these types of trades are about where the team is at in their competitive window. Kitchener may have felt that its best shot at a championship was last season and it’s looking at a less competitive year followed by a multi-year bottom out if it doesn’t replenish its draft picks. It would be pretty disappointing for Eduard Sale’s development if he were traded again this coming season, but I wouldn’t rule it out necessarily if Kitchener isn’t in the playoff mix by the OHL trade deadline.
As for Buium-Catton, only time will tell who has the more impactful career. I know I can’t predict it. And it’s just a couple games of summer hockey, so it’s a grain of salt observation. But it was just notable to me how good Buium looked. Could be a very good No. 12 overall pick.