5 NHL Prospects to Watch at the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase

Want to see your favorite junior hockey players face international competition, but don't want to wait for the 2025 World Junior Championships in Ottawa? The 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase is set for July 23 through Aug. 3 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.

This fun addition to the international junior hockey schedule sees the USA face off against Canada, Sweden, and Finland in a series of joint practices and scrimmages meant to allow teams an extra opportunity to evaluate these players ahead of the real deal.

Let's check out a few players who will be looking to impress at this unofficial tournament.

Quentin Musty, LW, Team USA (San Jose Sharks)

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OSHAWA, CANADA - NOVEMBER 26: Quentin Musty #27 of the Sudbury Wolves skates against the Oshawa Generals at Tribute Communities Centre on November 26, 2023 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)

San Jose Sharks prospect Quentin Musty is an incredible player—and one who got left at home by Team USA last year ahead of their gold medal win at the 2024 World Junior Championships.

With guys aging out and spots opening up, Team USA is hoping for a repeat performance with Musty having another shot at making the roster. Chances are pretty good he comes into camp with a healthy chip on his shoulder, especially after blowing the OHL wide open and finishing the regular season at nearly a two-point-per-game pace (102 in 53 games played).

If you'll pardon the pun, Musty is a bit of a puck shark. He has phenomenal hockey sense, can use his sharp offensive instincts at the game's highest speeds, and his shot is lethal. At his best, he's exactly the kind of player USA Hockey needs to replace guys like Cutter Gauthier or Gavin Brindley.

Musty moved his offseason training to Toronto this summer to work out with well-known trainer Andy O'Brien (whose clients include, among others, Sidney Crosby). Our first glimpse at how that's going for Musty will be at the WJSS. Expect him to come in to make sure USA Hockey management group feels they can't leave him at home this year.

Teddy Stiga, LW, Team USA (Nashville Predators)

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PLYMOUTH, MI - FEBRUARY 6: Teddy Stiga #8 of Team USA skates with the puck during U18 Five Nations Tournament between Team Switzerland and Team USA at USA Hockey Arena on February 6, 2024 in Plymouth, Michigan. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Let's just get this out there: the Nashville Predators got a first-round player when they took Teddy Stiga at 55th overall in June.

And if he plays to his full potential at the WJSS, and throughout the first half of his season at Boston College, it will be very difficult for USA Hockey not to take him to Ottawa this December. His 79 points with the U18 team at the NTDP was quite the jump from his 21 the season before with the U17s, and while moving to college hockey is an adjustment for any player, the benefit of playing for the NTDP is that Stiga has already seen ice time against college teams and has a sense of what to expect at the next level.

In case you need a refresher on what he brings to the table, Stiga has the kind of hockey sense that makes you wonder if he saw the entire game ahead of time, That's-So-Raven style. He's incredibly smart, and he has a motor to match—he's relentless, particularly on the forecheck. Think back several years to Joel Farabee forechecking for Team USA in 2019—that's what Stiga makes me think of. And if he wants to bump up his chances of making the team, he'll get even more deceptive with his playmaking.

Andrew Cristall, LW, Canada (Washington Capitals)

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WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: Washington Capitals 18 year old recruit Andrew Cristall (28), left, plays in an evening exhibition game against the Detroit Redwings at the Capital one Arena in Washington DC, on September 28, 2023. (Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

One of the 41 players headed to the WJSS with Canada is Andrew Cristall, drafted 40th overall by the Washington Capitals in 2023. An alternate captain for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, Cristall followed up his stellar draft season—95 points in 54 games—with an even better D+1 season, netting 111 points in 62 regular season games and leading the Rockets in scoring. He's a dynamic, engaging player who on his best nights has some of the most incredible playmaking skills in his draft class.

Cristall is no doubt hoping that he has enough of those best nights at the WJSS to convince Hockey Canada not to leave him at home this year. Consistency has been noted as one of his biggest flaws as a player, an area that he showed improvement in during the 23-24 season.

After the Rockets' season ended, Cristall joined the Hershey Bears on an amateur tryout contract and served as a black ace for part of the Bears' successful run to a second straight Calder Cup. Despite Cristall not playing in the AHL postseason, this run got him valuable experience being part of a championship run—practicing with and absorbing the habits of pros, something that he'll no doubt take with him to the WJSS and into next season.

Zayne Parekh, D, Canada (Calgary Flames)

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 26: Zayne Parekh of the Saginaw Spirit laughs during a NHL Draft Prospect Youth Hockey Clinic at City National Arena on June 26, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/NHLI via Getty Images)

Zayne Parekh could've been selected top-five in this year's draft. The Calgary Flames are thankful he wasn't.

Parekh, who recently attended the Flames' development camp and signed his entry-level contract with the team, is fresh off a Memorial Cup win and being named the OHL's defenseman of the year, winning the Max Kaminsky Trophy. He led all OHL defensemen in goals and points, with 33 and 96 respectively in 66 games—the kind of scoring from the back end that Hockey Canada can't afford to look away from.

He's an evasive skater with elite hockey sense, the kind of player who can make or break a game with the puck on his stick. His manipulation skills when he has the puck are such that he can create holes in opponents' coverage almost before they realize what's happening. He still has some work to do on his play in the neutral zone, something that's particularly important in international tournaments such as the World Juniors, but trust that just as we've seen the rest of his game grow over time, that will come—and everything else he brings to the table is reason enough to have him on the roster.

Daniel Nieminen, D, Finland (Undrafted)

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PLYMOUTH, MI - FEBRUARY 7: Daniel Nieminen #3 of Team Finland skates with the puck during U18 Five Nations Tournament between Team Finland and Team USA at USA Hockey Arena on February 7, 2024 in Plymouth, Michigan. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Daniel Nieminen, a 2024-eligible prospect, went undrafted in June, which was somewhat of a surprise. Many rankings saw him as a mid-to-late-round guy with some solid skill, though there were some concerns about his consistency and hockey sense. He's made international appearances for Finland's 06 age group before, with solid showings as a top-six defenseman there, so it isn't a surprise to see him on Finland's WJSS roster.

Whether or not he makes the team itself likely depends on whether he finds another gear in terms of both offensive production and consistency. He's not the flashy, dynamic style of defenseman but he's incredibly mobile with an active stick, capable of making plays, and is a valuable transition player. While he spent all of the 23-24 season at the junior level, it would be good to see him get games this season in the Liiga or Mestis to give a sense of how his game holds up against professionals. A solid performance at the World Juniors, as well as clear improvement in his overall game, could see him being a strong re-entry contender during the 2025 draft.