The Washington Capitals had two prospects participate in last week’s 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Terik Parascak and Lynden Lakovic were invited to Canada’s showcase camp, while Cole Hutson and Nicholas Kempf attended the camp for the United States. This showcase helps the coaching staffs for Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States craft their roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship in Dec. 2025 and Jan. 2026.
Team Canada Participants
Parascak finished tied for 19th place in scoring with three points in three games at the 2025 WJSS in Minnesota. The Capitals’ first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft scored a second-period goal in the intrasquad scrimmage. He provided a second-period assist on Brady Martin’s goal in an 8-4 loss to Sweden in Team Canada’s third game. Parascak added his final point on Ben Kindel’s game-winning goal in the third period of a 6-2 win against the United States.
Lakovic, the Capitals’ first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, received a late invitation to Canada’s camp and did not appear in any games. Still, his invitation to attend the camp is meaningful in giving the teenager an idea that he is on the radar for Team Canada for the tournament later this year.
Team USA Participants
Before the start of the competition, Team USA coach Bob Motzko told the media that Hutson would not be appearing in any games. Motzko watched as Hutson dominated the 2025 World Junior Championship with 11 points in seven games, a total that led all tournament scoring, as the United States claimed a second-straight gold medal. There was no need to skate him in these scrimmages, so Motzko held Hutson out of action to evaluate additional options for Team USA’s squad later this season.
USA coach Bob Motzko said Cole Hutson (WSH) will not participate in any scrimmages. When I asked is this for precautionary reasons, Motzko said they are just being ‘smart’. He said if it were the gold medal gm, he'd play; nothing serious. Cole Eiserman (NYI) also questionable
— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) July 29, 2025
Kempf appeared in two games during the showcase. He allowed two goals on nine shots in the opening half of a 5-2 win for Team USA White over Finland in the tournament’s opening contest. The 6-foot-2 netminder started in a 6-3 loss to Sweden, allowing five goals on 39 shots. He finished the exhibitions with a 0-1-0 record, a 4.83 goals-against average (GAA), and a .848 save percentage (SV%).
2026 World Junior Championship Details
The 2026 World Junior Championship will take place between Dec. 26, 2025, and Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Xcel Energy Center, the home of the Minnesota Wild, will serve as one location for games. At the same time, the other contests will be played at the 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus.
Team USA, Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Germany will compete to advance out of Group A, while Canada, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, and Denmark comprise Group B. It is the 50th anniversary of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship.
Related: World Junior Summer Showcase is All About the Process
The United States will look to capture a third straight championship on home soil later this year. The USA has not hosted the World Juniors since 2018, when the tournament was played in Buffalo, New York. An outdoor game between Team USA and Canada in the preliminary round added a special wrinkle as nearly 45,000 people attended a hockey game at New Era Field. Team USA captured a bronze medal following a 9-3 win over Czechia, while Canada skated around with a gold medal following a 3-1 victory over Sweden.
