World Junior Summer Showcase: Otto Kivenmaki vs Team USA White

The first international match-up of the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan, got underway today between Team Finland and Team USA White. The WJSS is an annual event that allows promising prospects to tryout for their nation’s November camp with hopes of making the final World Junior roster in December. It’s some of the best hockey you’ll find in the Summer.

The Red Wings have several prospects participating. Those involved include Joe Veleno (2018 1st rounder), Jonatan Berggren (2018 2nd rounder), Jesper Eliasson (2018 3rd rounder), and Otto Kivenmaki (2018 7th rounder). Fellow prospects in Robert Mastrosimone and Jared McIsaac will be out due to injury.

This is an exciting tournament to key tabs on, especially with some high-profile prospects from the Wings system playing. The first few days of the camp will not be nationally televised, so I wanted to help out. I’ll be putting out shift-by-shift games of the Detroit prospects from non-nationally televised games.

Starting us off is Otto Kivenmaki vs Team USA White from July 27. Kivenmaki is number 13 for Team Finland in the blue jerseys.