The 2024 World Junior Summer time Showcase kicked off just a few days in the past in Plymouth, Michigan, as gamers look to crack the lineup for his or her respective nationwide staff for the 2024-25 IIHF World Junior Championships. The defending champions, the USA, will look to defend their gold medal from a yr in the past and might be joined by Canada, Finland and Sweden.
A majority of gamers on every staff’s roster have already been chosen by groups within the NHL Draft however there are just a few notable gamers who’re making ready to listen to their names known as within the 2025 NHL Draft. Listed below are just a few of these gamers:
James Hagens, Boston Faculty (NCAA), United States
Hagens is the present betting favourite to listen to his title known as for the primary total choose of the 2025 NHL Draft. The younger star might be becoming a member of the Boston Faculty Eagles subsequent yr within the NCAA after an electrical efficiency with the U.S. Nationwide U18 Workforce wherein he scored 39 targets and 102 factors in 58 video games. As some of the dominant gamers in his age group, and with future teammates Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault becoming a member of him on the high of Workforce USA’s ahead core — Hagens ought to give the USA a variety of confidence to repeat as champions.
Porter Martone, Brampton Steelheads (OHL), Canada
Projected to fall within the high three of the 2025 NHL Draft, Martone must be a standout participant for Workforce Canada in the course of the showcase. Martone not too long ago wrapped his second season with the Steelheads (previously of Mississauga) and scored 33 targets and 71 factors in 60 video games. The younger winger was additionally a power to be reckoned with final yr on the worldwide stage as he scored 5 targets and 17 factors in solely seven video games whereas captaining Canada’s U18 staff.
Victor Eklund, Djurgardens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan), Sweden
Eklund is projected to fall towards the again half of the primary spherical in 2025 however has each alternative to push his title up the board. He’s undersized at 5-foot-11 however performs with such depth that his recreation ought to translate properly in opposition to North American gamers. Eklund break up time between Djurgardens IF and Djurgardens IF J20 final season the place he scored 4 factors in 15 video games for the previous and 25 factors in 30 video games for the latter.
