American forced to suit up for opposing country at World Junior Summer Showcase
An American goaltender was forced to suit up for an opposing country at World Junior Summer Showcase on Sunday afternoon.
The World Junior Summer Showcase got underway in Plymouth, Michigan on Sunday afternoon with a pair of games as USA White took on Finland, while USA Blue took on Sweden.
Ahead of the second game of the day - USA Blue vs Sweden, an American goaltender was forced to suit up for the opposing country due to reasons out of the team's control.
American goaltender Joey Slavick, who is eligible for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and could be one of the first netminders selected, suited up on Sunday afternoon for Sweden as their backup. The reason for this is that some of Sweden's equipment has yet to arrive in Plymouth due to flight delays they faced when coming over to the United States.
Slavick, 17, spent the 2023-24 season with the U.S. National Team Development Program at the U17 level and in the USHL. As of right now, Slavick hasn't committed to any NCAA school and will be eligible to play collegiate hockey in the 2025-26 campaign.
The World Junior Summer Showcase will run until August 3rd, as Canada joins up with the rest of the teams in Plymouth. Before heading south of the border, Canada will play a split squad game on Tuesday and face Sweden Wednesday, both of which will be played in Windsor. They'll then face Finland and the United States on back-to-back days - August 2nd & 3rd, before the tournament wraps up.
Every year, the World Junior Summer Showcase provides each participating nation an opportunity to evaluate their players before their respective seasons begin. The 2025 World Juniors, where a lot of players this week will play later this year, is set to be held in Ottawa, Ontario from December 26th to January 5th.
| POLL | ||
Who will win the World Juniors later this year? | ||
| Canada | 67 | 72 % |
| United States | 17 | 18.3 % |
| Finland | 4 | 4.3 % |
| Sweden | 5 | 5.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
