The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase continued on Wednesday with Canada taking on Finland and the United States playing Sweden. 

Canada used its best players from Tuesday's intersquad game for Wednesday, including Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke. Brunicke skated on the top pairing with New York Islanders defensive prospect Matthew Schaefer.

Schaefer was picked first overall by the Islanders in the 2025 NHL Draft and, barring anything odd, will be on the team to start the 2025-26 season. The fact that Brunicke got to skate with him in this game and during Tuesday's intersquad shows that Canada's coaching staff is high on him. 

Brunicke has grown as a player since the Penguins selected him in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. He was super close to making the team out of training camp before he was sent back to his junior team. 

He'll have an opportunity to make the Penguins' roster again when this year's training camp starts in about a month and a half. Brunicke will also participate in the prospects' challenge in Buffalo, just before training camp begins. 

Even though Canada lost 6-3 against Finland, Canada will play Sweden in its next game on Friday, August 1. 

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Featured Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images