Sharing a few recap thoughts from the World Juniors Summer Showcase, an event in which five LA Kings prospects participated in over the last week.

Goaltender Petteri Rimpinen stole the show with Team Finland.

Rimpinen started and played the full 60 minutes in two games, with his team winning both when he was the starting goaltender. Rimpinen was between the pipes for a 6-3 victory over the United States and a 3-1 win over Sweden, making a total of 46 saves on 50 shots in the two wins. His finest performance came in the tournament finale, as he stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced in the narrow victory. Overall, Rimpinen posted the best numbers of any goaltender in the showcase, as his .913 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average were the best numbers of any participating goaltender.

More on Rimpinen HERE from our conversation over the summer.

As for goaltender Carter George, he began his tournament with a strong showing, as he stopped all nine shots he faced in the Canada Red vs. Canada White game. Of the four participating goaltenders, George was the only one to post a zero in the goals against column. His second appearance was less successful, allowing four goals on 15 shots in a defeat against Finland, but George enters the season as the projected starting goaltender for Team Canada entering the season ahead. Many regulars were only utilized in a game or two with George, as the returning starter in net, included in that boat.

In looking at the skaters, well, all of the Kings prospects in attendance were representing Team USA.

The most active was defenseman and 2025 first-round selection Henry Brzustewicz, who played in four games during the showcase. Brzustewicz played two games with USA Blue and two games with Team USA overall. Brzustewicz got on the board with USA Blue against Team Finland early in the tournament, collecting an assist in a 3-2 defeat. Brzustewicz still has two potential shots at making Team USA and should be on the bubble for the 2026 squad.

Defenseman Caeden Herrington and forward Kristian Epperson each skated in the event as well, with Herrington logging three games and Epperson playing in two. Neither player got on the scoresheet and both are probably longer shots to make the final roster, but Herrington in particular played in an additional game with the full US squad so perhaps he’s more on the radar than you might think.

Regarding forward Liam Greentree, he was invited to the camp to skate for Team Canada but was unable to attend due to injury. No surprise there. Greentree had a wrist injury last season and had successful surgery just after his season ended in Windsor. He came to Kings development camp over the summer and was able to skate and attend meetings but wasn’t able to shoot pucks, take contact or participate in any scrimmages. Greentree was cleared for stickhandling during the week, however, and is expected to make a full recovery in time to begin the 2025-26 season. He should be firmly in contention for a spot on Team Canada after his season in the OHL was so impressive in 2024-25, assuming he does not find his way onto the NHL roster on a full-time basis. There’s the possibility of a similar path to Brandt Clarke in 2022-23, playing in nine games and a few in the AHL before participating in the WJC, but that’s a bit off. TLDR, not there this week but should be firmly in the mix for the final roster.

Beyond that, the Kings should have a couple of other players in the tournament come December/January who were not at selection camp. I’d expect second-round pick Vojtech Cihar to represent Czechia, with his country not participating in the summer showcase event. Cihar played in the event last year in a depth role and is eligible for both the 2026 and 2027 tournaments, as a likely fit on both rosters. Additionally, I’d expect Jan Chovan to participate with Slovakia. Like Cihar, Chovan was on the team last season and is eligible for the tournament both this season and next season. The sixth-round selection of the Kings is likely to make the team once again, perhaps with more opportunity as a more experienced player.