Canada will play its first game at the World Junior Summer Showcase on Wednesday night as they take on Sweden at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ont.
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The program is looking to rebound from a string of tough showings at the World Junior Championship, having finished fifth in both 2024 and 2025 before winning bronze earlier this year.
Calgary Flames prospect Cole Reschny was a part of the team that won bronze and says the mentality heading into this cycle is different than past years.
“Obviously we weren’t happy with last year’s summer camp and then last year’s result at the World Juniors so it’s a whole different mindset here this year. We’re here to win,” said the forward.
Of the 32 players invited to the summer camp this year, eight are returning from last year’s squad: Carson Carels, Braeden Cootes, Jack Ivankovic, Caleb Desnoyers, Brady Martin, Cameron Reid, Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff.
One of the fresh faces in camp ahead of tonight’s tilt against Sweden is 17-year-old Dimian Zhilkin. The youngest player at the Canadian camp is a projected first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
The Toronto native had 36 goals and 75 points with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit last season while serving as the team’s captain.
“A lot of poise, skill, very competitive,” Canada coach Misha Donskov said. “He’s got a quiet confidence to him. I think he’s a guy who’s always prepared, dialed in. He’s very focused on his details and his habits with the puck and away from the puck. He’s got a lot of skill, he’s got a lot of talent, and he’s an every-dayer. And those are great qualities of leadership.”
It can be tough for 17-year-olds to find playing time at the annual showcase, but Zhilkin says he can play anywhere up and down the lineup to fit into Canada’s plans at the tournament.
“I think I’m a versatile player,” he said. “I can play top six or bottom six. I think I can grind when they need me to, but I can also score goals. So whatever role I get here is what I’ll accept and make the most out of it.”
Vancouver Canucks prospect Caleb Malhotra will be making his national team debut at the Summer Showcase, finishing a whirlwind summer where he was drafted third overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
“It was a pretty special moment,” Malhotra said. “It’s my first time officially putting on the Maple Leaf in any kind of capacity, so I feel like it’s that much more meaningful.”
Sweden, the defending World Junior champion, has already played two games at the summer camp, opening with 6-1 and 6-4 losses to the United States on Sunday and Monday.
Canada general manager Allan Millar told TSN’s Mark Masters that the focus for this summer is to work on preparation for the annual December tournament, instead of player selection.
“Within our programs we’re trying to focus on more preparation over more player evaluations and more selection,” Millar said. “We feel we spend a lot of time trying to figure out who the seventh, eight defenceman is and the 13th, 14th forward when we should be spending time on special teams and our team game and the players who are going to help us win a tournament. So, that was part of the changes and we’ve had a few changes since the past year because we need to be better.”
Canada will play two more games at the Summer Showcase against Finland on Thursday and against the United States on Saturday.
