Four UND players, one recruit named to U.S. World Junior Summer Showcase roster

Jul. 9—GRAND FORKS — Four UND players and a Fighting Hawks recruit are among 42 players invited to the U.S. World Junior Championship Summer Showcase.

The showcase is set for July 25-Aug. 2 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.

UND sophomore defenseman E.J. Emery, sophomore forward Mac Swanson, freshman defenseman Sam Laurila, freshman forward Will Zellers and 2026 goalie recruit Caleb Heil will participate.

The U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden will be in the Twin Cities. They will play 11 games combined.

Canada has not yet announced its camp participants, but UND freshman Cole Reschny is expected to be one.

The World Juniors are scheduled from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center and the University of Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena.

Gophers head coach Bob Motzko will serve as Team USA’s head coach.

Emery was named to the preliminary roster last season, but was USA’s final cut.

The Americans won gold last season and return nine players from that team.

Emery, a shutdown defender, is a New York Rangers first-round pick. Swanson, a creative passer, is a Pittsburgh Penguins seventh-rounder. Laurila, a two-way defender, is a fifth-round New York Islanders pick. Zellers, a goal-scoring winger, is a third-round Colorado Avalanche pick whose rights now belong to Boston.

Heil is a seventh-round Tampa Bay Lightning pick who will play for Madison in the United States Hockey League this season.

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