In preparation for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, Finland, Sweden, Canada, and the host, the United States, are currently participating in the World Junior Summer Showcase, taking place from July 27-Aug. 2 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Hockey Canada announced the 44 players who make up their summer showcase roster. The roster was split up between two squads, with a game between Canada White vs. Canada Red on July 29. White took the game in a shootout 4-3, with San Jose Sharks prospect Carson Wetsch scoring the lone goal. Management and the coaches will trim down to one roster for their three games against the other nations.
The OHL is well represented among the 44 players selected, with 21 of them having played in the league last season. Canada's defense is “OHL” strong, featuring eight out of the twelve defensemen from the OHL. Additionally, the competition between the pipes will be between Carter George from the Owen Sound Attack and Jack Ivankovic, formerly of the Brampton Steelheads.
20 OHL Players Named To Canada's U18 Summer Selection Camp In Preparation For The 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Hockey Canada has revealed the rosters for its <a href="https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/mens-camp-rosters-set-2025-26-poe">U17 and U18 Selection/Development Summer Camps</a>. As anticipated, the OHL is strongly represented, contributing 50 players to the 119 invited in total.
Below, we look at five Canadians that you will want to keep your eye on at the summer showcase, as they look to make their bids for the 2026 World Juniors. Every game will be streamed at USAHockeyTV.com.
RHD, Ben Danford - Oshawa Generals (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Oshawa Generals captain Ben Danford has become a bit of a polarizing prospect after the season he had. Some look at him and say the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted him far too high (31st overall) in 2024, pointing out the lack of development in his offensive game. Others look at him as a defenseman who has the potential to become a Chris Tanev 2.0 and become a high-end shutdown blueliner in the NHL.
As for his role in this week’s showcase, Danford has the opportunity to show management and the coaches that he can be their guy to handle tough assignments, playing against the other teams’ top players. After all, Head Coach Dale Hunter has seen him playing against his London Knights in back-to-back OHL Finals.
Speaking of the London Knights, Danford was paired up with Sam Dickinson for Canada’s intrasquad match on Tuesday. Come December, those two could form a strong top-pairing for Canada, where Danford is the safety blanket, stay-at-home rearguard, while Dickinson is free to activate in transition and let his offensive skills flourish — something that he was held back from doing at last year’s tournament.
'It's Pretty Surreal': Maple Leafs Prospect Ben Danford Soaking Up Experience Of World Junior Summer Showcase With Canada
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford is <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-prospect-ben-danford-earns-invite-to-hockey-canada-s-world-juniors-summer-showcase">one step closer</a> to making one of his dreams a reality.
Danford isn’t paired up alongside Dickinson for Canada’s first game against Finland, instead him and Kashawn Aitcheson form a wrecking ball pairing. Those two together could be a formidable, and physical, shutdown pair for Canada.
C, Michael Misa - Saginaw Spirit (San Jose Sharks)
“Keep an eye on Michael Misa at the World Junior Summer Showcase,” seems like a captain obvious statement, right? Of course, all eyes will be on the second-overall pick from 2025, especially since he was an inexcusable snub off last year’s roster for Canada. Alas, the primary reason I have Misa on this list is that he has been presented with a golden opportunity through practice and the intrasquad game to play alongside projected 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna.
Calum Ritchie and Easton Cowan were supposed to be the top two guys for Canada at last year’s tournament. Let’s be honest, they were big-time let-downs. Canada’s back-to-back quarterfinal exits can be correlated back to a missing piece — having elite game breakers.
McKenna is a phenom. Yes, he was just okay for Canada last year, but he was only 16. But pair him up with another elite skater, puck handler, and game processor, like Misa, and Canada would have a dynamic duo that could wreak havoc in the tournament. Watch to see if Misa and McKenna can form some chemistry with one another. That will go a long way for Canada.
Sharks Invest In Misa's Explosive Offensive Potential With Second-Overall Pick
With the second-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the <a href="http://thn.com/sanjose">San Jose Sharks</a> selected Michael Misa of the Saginaw Spirit. He joins a robust group of high-end OHL players already present in San Jose's pipeline.
Unfortunately, Misa isn’t centering McKenna’s line for their game again Finland, and McKenna isn’t expected to play in Canada’s two remaining games. So, instead, Misa will be a primary focal point to driving Canada’s offense at the event, showcasing that he can be that “Game breaker.”
RHD, Henry Mews - Sudbury Wolves (Calgary Flames)
Okay, yes, I know he is leaving the OHL for the University of Michigan in the fall. But, off a technicality, he isn’t an NCAA player until he suits up in a game, so Calgary Flames prospect Henry Mews makes my list.
With fellow Flames prospect Zayne Parekh leaving due to an injury, the door couldn’t have opened up wider for Mews to introduce himself as a suitable replacement. The skating, passing, vision, and offensive mind are all there for him to push play from the backend. His 82 points last season in the OHL went under the radar, mainly due to Dickinson and Parekh taking up all of the airtime. Defensively, he continues to improve, but he will need to ensure he does not lose his assignments while at this showcase.
Additionally, Mews has represented Canada at three previous events, recording a total of 22 points (5 goals, 17 assists) in 18 combined games. He won gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2024 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.
C, Cole Beaudoin - Barrie Colts (Utah Mammoth)
Utah Mammoth’s 24th overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft, Cole Beaudoin, is aiming to return to the World Juniors in seek of redemption. He played a bottom-six checking role — essentially what he is made for — for Canada at the 2025 tournament, but struggled to contribute offensively.
One criticism that Hockey Canada got from last year’s roster was that they brought in too many “Role” players. Beaudoin fits that description. With a seemingly new selection process at hand, the Barrie Colts forward will need to show that he can also produce against the top junior players in the world, on top of playing as a fierce forechecker, hitter, and defensive specialist.
Beaudoin was on a line with fellow OHLers Marek Vanacker and Brady Martin on Tuesday. That trio could be a fun, heavy trio for Canada, with Dale Hunter leaning on them to form an “identity” line.
Now, Beaudoin, since he’s a returnee player, will play in their game against Finland and then head home.
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C, Jake O’Brien - Brantford Bulldogs (Seattle Kraken)
Jake O’Brien recently signed his entry-level contract with the Seattle Kraken, opting to stay in the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs rather than going to play in the NCAA. He’s cerebral and an elite playmaker, but will he be able to showcase his talents while playing down the lineup for Canada?
As an ‘07, O’Brien already starts behind the eight ball against other centermen like Berkly Catton, Michael Hage, and Cayden Lindstrom. Those players will get more offensive opportunities at the showcase than the Bulldogs center. O’Brien’s intelligence allows him to operate as a highly adaptable forward, with his ability to read the play and understand where to position himself. That makes him reliable as a depth option.
However, going back to what was said about too many “Role” players, O’Brien shouldn’t look to prove that he can be a bottom-six energy/checker for Canada. He should let his quick hands and passing stand out, and show that his offensive talents would be useful for his nation to provide depth scoring at the 2026 World Juniors.
(Top photo credit: Tucker Nadon/OHL Images)
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