PROSPECT PULSE: Foudy makes the most of 'summer showcase' invite

Prior to competing for Canada last week in the 2018 World Junior Summer Showcase, Liam Foudy had never traveled West of Calgary.
That alone made his trip from Toronto to Kamloops, B.C., a memorable excursion, but the Blue Jackets' first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft wasn't there for sightseeing purposes. Foudy, whom Columbus took 18th overall, was on a mission as an injury-replacement.
"I wasn't invited originally, so I wanted to go out there and show I should've been invited in the first place," said Foudy, a speedy center for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. "I just went out there and tried to play the best I could and show them I should've been invited right away."

Foudy wasn't among the first 40 players who were given invites to the showcase by Hockey Canada. Injuries to a couple forwards created an opportunity for him and he eagerly took it, with the goal of making a good impression.
It only took three games to accomplish that goal, as Foudy logged four assists and earned a spot at right wing on the top line for Canada's combined team that finished the week's slate of games with a 6-5 victory against the United States.
Canada finished with the best record among the four nations that were represented, which included the U.S., Finland and Sweden. The event gives players, especially for the U.S. and Canada, a chance to display their skills for the coaching staffs that will coach each team in the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be played Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.
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Foudy's bid to make that team is just starting, but he certainly didn't hurt his chances.
"In summer hockey, it's hard to analyze a player," said Tim Hunter, who coached the Canadian teams at the showcase and will coach Canada in the world junior championship. "You just want to see if they can grasp the mindset and the way we're playing, and see if some if their skill set fits in. [Foudy's] a 2000 [birth year], so he's a younger player for the world junior scheme of things. We have a lot of 19-year olds, but we thought that with his skillset and abilities, he'd give himself a good chance to show us whether he could play or not - and we liked what we saw, for the most part."
Foudy assisted on goals in each full-roster game, including an exciting win against the U.S. in the last action of the showcase for each team.
"The more I play, the better I feel usually," said Foudy, who's had a busy summer that included a week in Columbus at the Blue Jackets' development camp. "I got out there and felt pretty good. I adjusted to the speed pretty quick and played pretty well, I thought."
Next up will be the start of training camp with the Knights later this month followed by the annual Traverse City Prospects Tournament in September. Foudy will also participate in his first NHL training camp next month in Columbus.
"That's why this [summer showcase] was great," he said. "I got back to playing at top speed again. It's a faster pace than in the OHL, so it was good to be out there against the best of the best. It was definitely a good warm-up going into camp and what's ahead in the next month."
As for making Canada's final roster for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, Foudy is happy with the case he began to make for himself last week in Kamloops.
"I think I did that," he said. "I played pretty well and gave a pretty good impression. [World juniors] is something every young kid watches at Christmastime, so to play in that would be pretty special. Now, I've just got to go have a good start to the season and see where things go from there."