On the fourth day of the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase, Team USA cut 10 players, narrowing the roster to four goalies, 11 defensemen, and 17 forwards.
The initial 49-player roster was slimmed down to four goalies, 11 defensemen, and 17 forwards.
Seattle Kraken defenseman and seventh overall draft pick Chase Reid was one of the players who made it through the cuts. Reid was the only returning US player at the showcase.
Following the release of 10 players on Tuesday, the United States lost 3-2 to Finland.
Team USA head coach Adam Nightingale shared his perspective on the showcase.
"It's hard to even get here," Nightingale said. "There's a lot of good hockey players that were sent home. I said to the guys, 'I think there's going to be some guys that weren't even at our camp that might make the team.’
"So even if you were on the team last year, there are no promises. You've got to go out and earn it. That's how life works. All these guys want to play in the NHL. The best guys make it, so their job is not to pout or look for excuses; it's to look in the mirror and say, 'I've got to be better.’"
Team USA played in seven games, scoring 4.14 goals per game and allowing 2.86 goals against.
Nightingale also elaborated on the challenge of making the team.
"For the guys that stayed, you can't get comfortable because those guys that went home, they're going to be really hungry," Nightingale said. "They're training, and I always felt that competition is the greatest driver in development. I think those guys are all guys we'll continue to track."
Team USA ultimately won four games and lost three. Reid finished the showcase with four points - two goals and two assists.
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