Red Wings prospects John Whipple and Max Plante headline Team USA roster for 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase in Minnesota.
The hockey world will have something to look out for towards the end of July as the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase will be underway. Being held from July 25th to August 2nd at the University of Minnesota, USA Hockey invites teams made of the best junior talent from elite hockey nations in Canada, Finland and Sweden.
Team USA and Canada will have their expanded rosters split into two teams with the Americans having a white and blue team while the Canadians have a white and a red team. Some of the most notable prospects in the sport will be playing like James Hagens, Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson among others.
Red Wings fans will recognize two familiar names in defenseman John Whipple and forward Max Plante as 2024 draft picks, who will be showcasing their skills against some of the top junior hockey talent in the world.
Whipple, 19, was the Red Wings fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and is coming off his first full season with the Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota. The hope is that Whipple shows the Red Wings that he deserves an entry-level deal and uses his college home ice to his advantage.
The New Jersey native has never been the biggest point producer but expert reports suggest that he is a high-end skater that can break down and prevent fast break chances while also using excellent stick-checking skills to retrieve pucks and keep the play moving.
Plante, 19, will also be looking to nab a entry-level deal and should put together a solid showcase after a stellar season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. With 28 points through 23 games, the Minnesota native earned him a nod for Team USA at the U-20 IIHF World Junior Championships. Plante would go on to record three points through six games en route to a gold medal.
The pair will look to make an impact when Team USA White plays their opening games versus Finland on July 27th followed by Team USA Blue facing off against Sweden at 4:30 ET. Detroit fans can watch all showcase games streamed live on USAHockeyTV.com with 11 total tournament games available.
Michigan will be sending several notable prospects to play for Team USA including Henry Brzustewicz, Luke Osburn and Will Horcoff.
