Top 2024 Draft prospect Cole Eiserman discusses his experience at the World Junior Summer Showcase, his favorite NHLers to watch, and social media rumors

Cole Eiserman wears a USA Hockey polo, khakis, and some stubble as he walks out to the mixed zone after a 4-3 defeat to Finland to conclude the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase from Plymouth, MI.

"It was cool.  It was a fun experience, a lot of really good guys.  I learned a lot just from them, how old they are, how mature they are on and off the ice," says Eiserman of the week that was.

He won't turn 17 until the end of the month, but by next June, he is expected to be among the first to hear his name at the 2024 NHL Draft.  Over the past week, he has competed for the right to help the U.S. vie for gold at the upcoming World Junior Championship in Gothenburg.

"It was obviously a little tough to start because you don't really know a lot of guys, but those guys were all very welcoming and really good guys, so it made it really easy," Eiserman says of navigating being the second youngest American to attend the showcase, older only than his U.S. NTDP teammate James Hagens.

On the first day of camp, University of Minnesota fans fueled social media rumors that Eiserman (a Gopher commit) might leave the NTDP early to jump to the NCAA at just 17 after Logan Cooley went back on his decision to return to school, instead signing with the Arizona Coyotes. 

"It wasn't even really on my radar to be honest," says Eiserman of the rumors.  "It was kind of funny seeing that stuff, but I was always gonna come back for the 18s year, not really rush through the college process, and have a good year with the 18s."

"Obviously, it'd be cool to go up there and play with those guys, but [I've] got one more year here [with the NTDP], so I'm gonna do that," he adds.  "I mostly get [social media speculation] sent from my family, stuff like that.  And we think it's funny just because it's so quick all this stuff starts going around, but it's all fun stuff."

Last season, Eiserman enjoyed one of the most productive NTDP campaigns ever with he and Hagens doing their best impression of former NTDP running-mates Jack Hughes and Cole Caufield.  Hagens was the quick-twitch, fast-as-a-race-horse playmaker, and Eiserman was the pocket-sized sniper whose stature belied his formidable scoring prowess.  Eiserman's 69 goals were second only to Caufield's 72 in '18-19 for a single NTDP season.

Now a full-time member of the U-18 squad, Eiserman's second year in Plymouth will build toward the 2024 Draft next summer.

"Obviously, it's in your mind a little bit, but I think what we do a really good job at is kind of going for that gold medal," says Eiserman of that forthcoming target. "So if you do all the good things to get that gold medal, then after that the draft is gonna come with that.  So it's just keeping it day-by-day and obviously always trying to be the best whenever you can on the ice, and hopefully at that point, it will happen."

In scouting reports, Eiserman draws comparisons to Caufield and another formidable NTDP-trained sniper Auston Matthews.  Eiserman welcomes the comparison, especially since the pair represent to of his favorite NHL players to watch and to emulate.

"Those guys are awesome," he says.  "Obviously Matthews how much he scores and everything is awesome, and watching Caufield with the program was really cool how much he scored.  So I love watching those guys; those are probably two of the ones that I look at probably the most, just because they love scoring and they have fun with it."

With the Summer Showcase now in the rearview mirror, Eiserman anticipates three weeks of relative relaxation before he will return to Plymouth for NTDP training camp.

"A lot of chilling out, being with family for the last three weeks and then I'm back here.  A lot of training but a lot of time staying at home, because you don't get that too much," he says of his plans for the rest of the summer.

As for the World Junior itself, Eiserman has fond memories.  "Growing up, I watched it every time I got the chance, whether it was a school night or not, I was always able to watch it," he explains.  "It was always an exciting tournament, and it's obviously really cool to have a chance at it now."

When asked for his favorite World Junior memory, Eiserman cites the 2017 gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada, in which the American side twice overturned two-goal deficits before Troy Terry stole the show with three goals in the decisive shootout.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFR31pyxjSU[/embed]

If all goes according to plan, Eiserman will have a chance to leave his own World Junior legacy when December rolls around.