The 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase will take place at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. It is a nine-game tournament between the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. Games will take place between July 26 to August 3.
The Summer Showcase not only allows players to suit up for their country, it also serves as an evaluation period as well. Players will have a chance to put themselves on the map to be chosen for the World Junior Championship later this year.
The Flyers will have many players in this tournament as eight prospects have been chosen to represent their countries.
Team Canada
Canada has, by far, the most Flyers prospects on it, as five of the seven will be on this roster. Carson Bjarnason, Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, Jett Luchanko, and Carter Sotheran were all named to Canada's roster. Barkey and Sotheran are looking to make their debuts for Canada while the other three have put on the Canadian sweater before.
Bjarnason finished up his third season with the Brandon Wheat Kings where he posted the best numbers of his junior career thus far. In 46 games, he had a 3.01 GAA and a .907 SV%. He also recorded two shutouts. Those aren't the most inspiring numbers for a player in his third junior season. Bjarnason does routinely face 30+ shots a game and has even seen over 40 on occasion as well.
But he's going to need to pick things up with the prospects the Flyers have in their pipeline. They've stocked up on goaltenders as of late. He'll have another season with the Wheat Kings before attempting to turn to the pro game. If he continues to show improvement this upcoming season, that will go a long way.
Barkey would like to change the minds of Canada this time around. He was given a chance to make the squad for the WJC last season but was cut before the tournament began. Barkey used that as fuel for the rest of his season. And he certainly showed Canada what he was capable of. He eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time in his career and was second on the team with 35 goals.
Barkey added 27 points in 18 playoff games. London would end up losing in the Memorial Cup Final to the Saginaw Spirit.
Bonk represented Canada at last year's WJC and is likely to make the team again. He posted three assists in five games last season, but it was the puck that deflected off of him in the dying seconds against Czechia that left him crushed. However, similar to Barkey, Bonk let that experience drive him the rest of the way with the Knights.
Bonk took off offensively this season, powered by his prowess on the power play. He finished with 24 goals and 67 points in 60 games. He added seven goals and 16 points in 18 playoff games. Bonk is expected to return to London for another season, but his eyes are set on the Flyers roster. He will be a fun one to watch.
By now, everyone knows about Jett Luchanko so we won't go into everything. He was part of the U18 squad that brought home the gold medal last year. Luchanko posted two goals and seven points in seven games. There's a good chance he'll make Canada's squad again this year, especially after a strong season in Guelph.
Luchanko took off this year, posting 20 goals and 74 points in 68 games. That was after just five goals and 14 points the previous year. He did miss some time that season, playing in 46 games. But Luchanko put himself firmly on the board this season and should only get better with another year in Guelph. He did earn himself an entry-level contract before leaving the development camp.
Sotheran is the other Flyers prospect on Canada's side looking to make the international roster for the first time. The young defenseman improved in his second season with the Portland Winterhawks. He posted 13 goals and 40 points in 66 games. Sotheran added four goals and 11 points in 14 playoff games but was injured late in the playoffs.
He might have more of an uphill climb to earn a contract from the Flyers. But as a fifth-round pick, there aren't necessarily the same expectations thrown upon him.
Team USA
The Flyers will have one prospect fighting to make the United States roster and that is Noah Powell. Powell will be wearing red, white, and blue for the first time in his career. It's a nice honor for him after his breakout season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He finished the season with 43 goals and 74 points in 61 games. It was a massive leap from the eight goals and 19 points in 53 games from the prior season.
It is why Powell was passed over in the 2023 Draft before the Flyers chose him this summer. But his perseverance showed as he was off to another slow start this season with just one goal in 16 games. Something clicked and he never let his foot off the gas the rest of the way. And he's doing all of this with hearing loss since he was a child.
There is room for Powell to make the roster. Only five forwards invited to the showcase were members of the 2024 team. So the competition is wide open.
Team Sweden
Jack Berglund was a member of last year's team that earned a bronze medal at the WJC. Berglund posted two goals and five points in seven games. He has a good shot to make the team again.
Berglund had 15 goals and 34 points in 41 games for Färjestad BK J20. He dipped his toes in the SHL for the first time in his career. He had one point in eight games. Berglund showed the potential he has in that stint but likely isn't ready for a full-time promotion to Sweden's top league yet.
He has a strong two-way game even if he doesn't necessarily excel at one thing. Berglund does use his size to his advantage and can push his way past defenders. He uses that same size to win board battles and makes sure to find his way back into coverage when need be.
Team Finland
Rounding out the Flyers prospects chosen for the Summer Showcase is Heikki Ruohonen. Ruohonen has had multiple stints on the international team and is coming off a solid performance in last year's WJC. He had three goals in five points and was named as one of the top three players on Finland's squad.
It was a strong season for Ruohonen with Kiekko-Espoo’s U20 team. He led the team in goals (20) and points (47). He will be making his North American debut this upcoming season after being taken first over in the USHL Draft. He will be heading to Powell's former team in Dubuque. After that, it will be off to Harvard University.
A full schedule for the event can be found here. An interesting quirk in the schedule shows that Sweden and Canada will not play each other during the five-day event. So a few Flyers prospects will not have the chance to face each other.