Hockey Canada announced Friday that 32 players will participate in the Summer Showcase in Windsor, Ont., that will serve as a preparation camp ahead of the World Junior Championship in December.
The roster features 10 defencemen, four goaltenders and 18 forwards, and includes a couple of familiar faces from past World Juniors teams.
Carson Carels, Braeden Cootes, Jack Ivankovic, Caleb Desnoyers, Brady Martin, Cameron Reid, Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff return from the 2026 squad for another try.
Of the 32 players named, 31 have been developed in the CHL. Twelve come from the Western Hockey League, 11 from the Ontario Hockey League and eight from the QMJHL.
“We’re excited to announce the 32 players who will attend the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor as we begin our preparation for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said general manager of Canada’s National Junior Team Alan Millar in a news release.
“This is an important opportunity for our staff to evaluate a talented group of players against top international competition while continuing to build our identity as a team. We’re looking forward to seeing this group compete and bringing this showcase to Windsor in front of passionate Canadian hockey fans.”
The roster includes 28 players that have already been selected in the NHL Draft, including 13 first-round picks. Six of them were taken in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft - Caleb Malhotra (third overall, Vancouver Canucks), Daxon Rudolph (fourth, Buffalo Sabres), Carels (sixth, Calgary Flames), Verhoeff (ninth, San Jose Sharks), Ethan Belchetz (17th, Utah Mammoth) and Ryan Lin (21st, San Jose Sharks).
Team Canada looks ahead to the 2027 tournament seeking an improvement over last year’s bronze-medal finish. Canada has not taken home a gold medal since the 2023 tournament in Canada.
The showcase will run from July 27 to Aug. 1, and will feature games against Sweden (July 29), Finland (June 30) and the United States (Aug. 1).
Here is the full roster:
Goaltenders (4)
Lucas Beckman (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL)
Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads / OHL; University of Michigan / NCAA)
William Lacelle (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL)
Samuel Meloche (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
Defencemen (10)
Carson Carels (Prince George Cougars / WHL)
Alex Huang (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL)
Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants / WHL)
Brek Liske (Everett Silvertips / WHL)
Charlie Morrison (Québec Remparts / QMJHL)
Cameron Reid (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)
Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL)
Jackson Smith (Tri-City Americans / WHL; Penn State University / NCAA)
Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals / WHL; University of North Dakota / NCAA)
Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL)
Forwards (18)
Ethan Belchetz (Windsor Spitfires / OHL)
Shea Busch (Everett Silvertips / WHL)
Braeden Cootes (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL)
Ethan Czata (Guelph Storm / OHL)
Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL)
Chase Harrington (Spokane Chiefs / WHL)
Tyler Hopkins (Guelph Storm / OHL)
Tommy Lafrenière (Kamloops Blazers / WHL)
Jimmy Lombardi (Flint Firebirds / OHL)
Caleb Malhotra (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL)
Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)
Jack Nesbitt (Windsor Spitfires / OHL)
Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals / WHL; University of North Dakota / NCAA)
Ryan Roobroeck (Guelph Storm / OHL)
Cameron Schmidt (Victoria Royals / WHL)
Philippe Veilleux (Val-d’Or Foreurs / QMJHL)
Dima Zhikin (Saginaw Spirit / OHL)
Tynan Lawrence (Boston University / NCAA)
