COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Fourteen (14) current or incoming National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) players have been selected to participate in the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase, as USA Hockey announced the 46 players invited on Thursday. The World Junior Summer Showcase runs from July 26-Aug. 3, 2024 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.
 
The lone rising sophomore from the NCHC invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase is Denver defenseman Zeev Buium, the reigning NCHC Rookie of the Year. He’s one of 10 returning players who were part of the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team that won the gold medal at the most recent World Junior Championship. The other 13 NCHC players invited to the Summer Showcase are incoming freshmen from six different schools. Denver, Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota will each send three newcomers to the Summer Showcase, St. Cloud State has two incoming freshmen on the U.S. roster, while one player each will call Colorado College and Western Michigan home in the fall.
 
The World Junior Summer Showcase, which will also include players from Canada, Finland and Sweden, serves as an evaluation for players looking to earn a spot on their respective national teams for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. The 2025 World Junior Championship will be held Dec. 26, 2024 through Jan. 5, 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario. In addition to daily practices, which are open to the public and free of charge, the week-long World Junior Summer Showcase will include nine international games.
 
Along with Buium, Denver will have freshmen Jake Fisher, Tory Pitner and James Reeder at the World Junior Summer Showcase. Fisher (Woodbury, Minn.) is a forward who won the Anderson and Clark Cups with the Fargo Force in the USHL this past season, while Pitner (El Cerrito, Calif.) is a defenseman who played with the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL this past year, and Reeder (Glenview, Ill.) is a forward who was with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL in 2023-24. Buium (San Diego, Calif.) totaled 50 points (11g/39a) last season, which led all NCAA defensemen, while helping the Pioneers win the 2024 National Championship. Along with Rookie of the Year, Buium was named NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year and a First-Team All-American. All four Pioneers are draft eligible.
 
Minnesota Duluth will be represented at the World Junior Summer Showcase by incoming freshmen Adam Kleber, Max Plante and Jayson Shaugabay, all Minnesota natives. Kleber (Chaska, Minn.) is a draft-eligible defenseman who played for the Lincoln Stars in the USHL the past two seasons. Plante (Hermantown, Minn.) is a draft-eligible forward who was a member of the U.S. Under-18 Team last season, while Shaugabay (Warroad, Minn.) was a forward for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL this past year and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.
 
North Dakota incoming freshmen EJ Emery, Andrew Strathmann and Mac Swanson were also invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase. Emery (Compton, Calif.) is a draft-eligible defenseman who starred on the U.S. U-18 Team this past season, while Strathmann (Beach Park, Ill.) is also a blue liner who played for the Phantoms with DU’s Pitner in 2023-24. Strathmann was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023. Swanson (Anchorage, Alaska) was named USHL Forward and Player of the Year this past season after leading the Fargo Force to a pair of USHL championships.
 
St. Cloud State’s incoming freshmen headed to the Summer Showcase are Austin Burnevik and Colin Ralph. Burnevik (Blaine, Minn.) is a forward who played for the Madison Capitols in the USHL this past season, while Ralph (Maple Grove, Minn.) is a defenseman who was with Dubuque in the USHL this past year along with DU’s Reeder. Both Huskies newcomers are draft eligible.
 
The final two NCHC players selected to the World Junior Summer Showcase are a pair of incoming freshman goaltenders (among only five goalies invited). Carsen Musser (Sherburn, Minn.) will attend Colorado College in the fall after goaltending for the Madison Capitols in 2023-24, while Hampton Slukynsky (Warroad, Minn.) will be a Western Michigan Bronco in 2024-25 after backstopping the Fargo Force to two Cups this past season with Swanson and Fisher. Musser was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2023 NHL Draft, while Slukynsky was selected by the L.A. Kings in the same draft.
 
The 2025 U.S. National Junior Team will be coached by a pair of NCHC head coaches, who return after leading Team USA to gold in 2024. Denver head coach David Carle will once again serve as head coach of the U.S. squad at World Juniors, while St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson is back as an assistant coach for Team USA.
 
For the complete U.S. World Junior Summer Showcase roster, click here.
 
NCHC Players Selected to 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase

• Zeev Buium, Denver, So., D
• Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State, Fr., F
• EJ Emery, North Dakota, Fr., D
• Jake Fisher, Denver, Fr., F
• Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth, Fr., D
• Carsen Musser, Colorado College, Fr., G
• Tory Pitner, Denver, Fr., D
• Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth, Fr., F
• Colin Ralph, St. Cloud State, Fr., D
• James Reeder, Denver, Fr., F
• Jayson Shaugabay, Minnesota Duluth, Fr., F
• Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, Fr., G
• Andrew Strathmann, North Dakota, Fr., D
• Mac Swanson, North Dakota, Fr., F