COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Eleven (11) National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) players have been invited to participate in the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase with Team USA, as USA Hockey announced their 42-man roster on Wednesday.
 
Five of the 11 American NCHC players invited are rising sophomores and played in the NCHC last season, while six are incoming freshmen this fall. Five NCHC teams are represented on the U.S. roster, with four players from North Dakota, two each from Arizona State, Denver and Minnesota Duluth, and one from St. Cloud State.
 
The five current NCHC players to be invited by USA Hockey are North Dakota defenseman EJ Emery, UND forward Mac Swanson, Minnesota Duluth defenseman Adam Kleber, UMD forward Max Plante and Arizona State forward Cullen Potter. Kleber and Plante were part of the 2025 U.S. National Junior Team that won a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and are among nine returning players from that team. Emery and Swanson took part in last year’s World Junior Summer Showcase, as well, while Potter earned a bronze medal with the U.S. U-18 National Team this past May at the U-18 World Championship.
 
The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase, which serves as an evaluation for the 2026 World Junior Championship, will run from July 25-Aug. 2 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. Along with the U.S. squad, Canada, Finland and Sweden will also bring teams to compete at the World Junior Summer Showcase, with international games and practices held throughout the week. The full schedule can be seen here.
 
The six NCHC incoming freshmen who will suit up for Team USA at the World Junior Summer Showcase include Denver forwards Kristian Epperson and Brendan McMorrow, St. Cloud State defenseman Tanner Henricks, Arizona State forward Ben Kevan, North Dakota defenseman Sam Laurila and UND forward Will Zellers.
 
The 42-man U.S. roster for the World Junior Summer Showcase includes 23 forwards, 14 defensemen and five goaltenders. Among the 11 NCHC players on the U.S. roster, seven are forwards and four are blueliners. Six of the 11 NCHC Americans hail from Minnesota, while three are from California (of the five total on the U.S. roster) and one each are from Alaska (Swanson) and Wisconsin (Epperson).
 
Additional NCHC players may take part in the World Junior Summer Showcase with Canada, Sweden or Finland once those rosters are announced.
 
The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship will take place from Dec. 26, 2025 through Jan. 5, 2026 in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The final U.S. National Junior Team roster will be announced closer to the tournament in December.
 
Former St. Cloud State head coach and current Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko will serve as head coach of the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team after Denver head coach David Carle guided Team USA to back-to-back World Juniors golds the last two years.
 
For the complete U.S. World Junior Summer Showcase roster, click here.
 
NCHC Players on U.S. World Junior Summer Showcase Roster

• EJ Emery, North Dakota, So., D (Compton, Calif.)
• Kristian Epperson, Denver, Fr., F (Mequon, Wis.)
• Tanner Henricks, St. Cloud State, Fr., D (Mission Viejo, Calif.)
• Ben Kevan, Arizona State, Fr., F (Fairfield, Calif.)
• Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth, So., D (Chaska, Minn.)
• Sam Laurila, North Dakota, Fr., D (Moorhead, Minn.)
• Brendan McMorrow, Denver, Fr., F (Lakeville, Minn.)
• Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth, So., F (Hermantown, Minn.)
• Cullen Potter, Arizona State, So., F (Minneapolis, Minn.)
• Mac Swanson, North Dakota, So., F (Anchorage, Alaska)
• Will Zellers, North Dakota, Fr., F (Maple Grove, Minn.)