Vancouver Canucks Top Prospect & 2025 1st-Round Pick Given Massive Opportunity This Summer

The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase gets underway in Minnesota on Sunday and for the four participating nations - Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States, it's a great opportunity to evaluate players that could end up on their respective rosters for the tournament in late-December.

Earlier this month, 2025 fifth round pick Wilson Bjorck was named to Sweden's roster for the World Junior Summer Showcase and it looks like he'll be joined by a fellow Vancouver Canucks prospect in The State of Hockey this week.

On Sunday morning, Hockey Canada became the final federation to officially announce their roster for the World Junior Summer Showcase and a total of 44 players were invited including projected first overall pick next year, Gavin McKenna, 2025 first overall pick Matthew Schaefer, along with 22 other first round picks.

Among those participating this week are eight members of the Canada's 2025 World Junior roster that fell to Czechia in the quarterfinals - Matthew Schaefer, Cole Beaudoin, Sam Dickinson, Gavin McKenna, Berkly Catton, Porter Martone, Jack Ivankovic and Carter George, while Jett Luchenko was also invited but is unable to attend.

Also on Canada's roster is Vancouver Canucks forward prospect Braeden Cootes, who the club selected 15th overall in last month's NHL Entry Draft, signing him to his entry-level contract shortly after.

Cootes has some experience on the international stage with Canada, representing them at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in the fall of 2023 and back in the spring, captained his nation to gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship, registering 12 points in seven games along the way.

While Cootes may have a difficult time trying to make the final World Junior roster in December, especially if all nine returning players are available, along with some other top names, however if he has a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign with the Seattle Thunderbirds, it would be hard for Hockey Canada not to consider him an option.

Canada's World Junior Summer Showcase schedule will begin with an intrasquad game on Tuesday at 2:30 pm PT before they face Finland on July 30th, Sweden on August 1st and will wrap things up against the United States on August 2nd.

Source: Hockey Canada
National Junior Team Summer Showcase Roster