Eight Flyers Prospects Projected to Play in 2024 WJSS
From July 26 to August 3, 2024, the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, will host the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS).
From July 26 to August 3, 2024, the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS) is scheduled to take place at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. The event will feature two teams from the United States, namely USA White and USA Blue, along with representatives from Canada, Sweden, and Finland each.
Medals are not awarded at the WJSS. The tournament is solely a preparatory event where national hockey federations assess potential candidates for the IIHF Under-20 World Championship (World Junior Championships) before the season begins. In early December, selection camps are conducted to finalize the rosters for the WJC.
The format of the World Junior Summer Showcase consists of a series of nine exhibition games. USA Hockey will split its extensive roster, which includes 25 forwards, 16 defensemen, and five goaltenders, into two teams: USA Blue and USA White. Both USA Blue and USA White will have the opportunity to compete against Team Sweden and Team Finland in one game each.
Following that, the two American teams will unite to form one Team USA squad for their last three matches. Team USA will subsequently face off against Finland on July 31, Sweden on August 2, and Canada on August 3.
After the other teams, Team Canada will reach Plymouth and commence its first practice on August 1. On August 2, before facing off against Team USA, the Canadians have a game against Finland. The schedule does not include a game between Canada and Sweden. On August 3, Sweden will compete against its traditional archrival Finland, before the final match between Canada and USA.
The national team rosters have included seven Flyers prospects: Canada’s Denver Barkey (RW), Sweden’s Jack Berglund (C), Canada’s Carson Bjarnason (G), Canada’s Oliver Bonk (D), Canada’s Jett Luchanko (C), USA’s Noah Powell (RW), and Canada’s Carter Sotheran (D).
The official count of Flyers-affiliated prospects at the 2024 WJSS event will increase to eight with the formal announcement of Team Finland’s roster by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Heikki Ruohonen, a center and the Flyers’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, is among the 12 forwards who will be taking part in Team Finland’s pre-WJSS camp in Vierumäki from July 20 to 24.
Last year, Bonk, one of the Flyers’ two first-round picks in 2023, participated in the World Junior Championships. However, Barkey was unfortunately cut late in the Selection Camp held in December 2023. Cole Knuble (C, USA) and Devin Kaplan (RW, USA) did not qualify for the Selection Camp phase for Team USA after taking part in the 2023 WJSS. Unfortunately, both Kaplan and Knuble are no longer eligible to compete in the World Junior Championships due to age restrictions.