PLYMOUTH, Michigan – The World Junior Summer Showcase can be a bit of a weird event. 

It’s effectively a tryout for Team USA, with players moving from Team White to Blue and vice versa, with Finland and Sweden invited. 

The fact it takes place at the exact same time as the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, also means that from an NHL scout’s attention span, it’s the secondary tournament this time of year. 

But weird doesn’t have to mean bad. For Team USA’s management group, and us at EP Rinkside, it was a chance to watch some players in a unique position and see how they progress over a four-game sample size. For the the Swedes and Finns, it was more of an opportunity to grow their teams, and build some chemistry before the World Junior Championships in Sweden in December. 

After watching the majority of the tournament in person from USA Hockey Arena, here are some players that frequently grabbed space in my notebook.