Tarin Smith from Porcupine Plain, Berkly Catton and Roger McQueen from Saskatoon and Macklin’s Cole Reschny are among the 44 players invited by Hockey Canada to the World Junior Summer Showcase.
The Summer showcase, the first step to earning a spot on the Canadian 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship team, will run from Monday, July 27, to Saturday, August 2, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Four goaltenders, 12 defencemen, and 20 forwards will participate in practices, scrimmages, and a trio of exhibition games against Finland, Sweden, and the United States in preparation for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The player selection process was led by Alan Millar, the former Regina Pats general manager, who has been hired as the general manager of the Program of Excellence, alongside Program of Excellence head scout Byron Bonora and Mark Hunter, the U20 lead with the Program of Excellence group.
Millar is excited about the players invited to the event.
“This is an incredible opportunity for these players to compete at the highest level, build chemistry and show what they can bring to the national team. With the 2026 World Juniors on the horizon, this is a crucial step in building a championship-calibre group.”
The players will be split into two teams—Red and White—for practices and an intrasquad game on July 29. They will then take on Finland on July 30, Sweden on Aug. 1, and the United States on Aug. 2.
Included in those invited to camp is Saskatoon Blades goaltender Evan Gardner.
