Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff, each selected in the top 10 at the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, will be among the 32 players that will participate in the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase for Canada.
The camp, which will feature practices and games between players from Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden, will be held July 26-Aug. 1 at WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario. It's the first evaluation step for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Carels, selected by the Calgary Flames with the No. 6 pick, had one assist and averaged 10:12 of ice time in five games to help Canada win the bronze medal at the 2026 WJC. The 18-year-old defenseman, who will play at the University of North Dakota this season, tied for fourth among Western Hockey League defensemen last season with 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) in 58 games.
Verhoeff, who was chosen by the San Jose Sharks with the No. 9 selection, had four assists and averaged 11:10 of ice time in five games at the 2026 WJC. The 18-year-old defenseman was fifth among freshmen at his position with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 36 games at North Dakota last season.
Carels and Verhoeff are two of eight players from Canada’s roster at the 2026 WJC that will be at the camp, along with goalie Jack Ivankovic (Nashville Predators), defenseman Cameron Reid (Predators), and forwards Braeden Cootes (Vancouver Canucks), Caleb Desnoyers (Utah Mammoth), Brady Martin (Predators) and Cole Reschny (Calgary Flames).
Seven Canadian players selected in the first round of the 2026 draft will be at the camp. Joining Carels and Verhoeff are forwards Caleb Malhotra (Canucks, No. 3), Tynan Lawrence (St. Louis Blues, No. 11) and Ethan Belchetz (Utah Mammoth, No. 17), and defensemen Daxon Rudolph (Buffalo Sabres, No. 4) and Ryan Lin (Sharks, No. 21).
Also attending the camp is forward Dimian Zhilkin, a projected first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old right wing had 75 points (36 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games last season with Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League.
"We're excited to announce the 32 players who will attend the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor as we begin
our preparation for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship," Canada national junior team general manager Alan Millar said. "This is an important opportunity for our staff to evaluate a talented group of players against top international competition while continuing to build our identity as a team. We're looking forward to seeing this group compete and bringing this showcase to Windsor in front of
passionate Canadian hockey fans."
Gavin McKenna, selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft, is eligible to play in the 2027 WJC but was not invited to the camp. The 18-year-old was second among all players at the 2026 WJC with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in seven games. He also scored one goal in five games at the 2025 WJC.
Canada is trying to win the WJC for the first time since 2023. Its third-place finish at the 2026 tournament came after consecutive fifth-place finishes.
Misha Donskov will coach Canada. He was an assistant coach on the 2026 WJC team.
Finland also released its roster, which includes two players selected in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft, defenseman Samu Alalauri (Chicago Blackhawks, No. 66) and goalie Juuso Ainasto (Maple Leafs, No. 85).
The 2027 WJC will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta from Dec. 26, 2026-Jan. 5, 2027. Canada will play in Group A, along with Czechia, Latvia, Norway and Switzerland, with preliminary-round games at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Group B consists of Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States, with preliminary-round games at Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer.
The U.S. and Sweden, which won the 2026 WJC, previously released their World Junior Summer Showcase rosters.
