Tommy Lafrenière is getting a summer-stage chance to make his case for Hockey Canada.
The Edmonton Oilers prospect was one of 18 forwards named to Canada’s roster for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase, which runs from July 26 to Aug. 1 in Windsor, Ont. It’s another step for the 19-year-old as he tries to keep building momentum after a strong season in junior and a brief look at pro hockey.
Lafrenière, selected by Edmonton in the third round at 83rd overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, put together a big year with the Kamloops Blazers. He scored 41 goals and finished with 77 points in 67 games, good for third on the team and a 21-point jump from the season before.
Once his junior year wrapped up, Lafrenière signed an amateur tryout with William Nicholl so he could join the Bakersfield Condors. In his first five pro games, he recorded one goal and one assist, flashing the quick release that helped make him one of the WHL’s top finishers last season.
He’ll enter the showcase with a clear next step ahead as well. Lafrenière is committed to Western Michigan for the 2026-27 season, part of the growing wave of major junior players moving to the NCAA under the updated eligibility rules. His WHL career ended with 67 goals and 133 points in 140 games with Kamloops.
Canada’s roster for the tournament includes 32 players overall, and the team will see Sweden, Finland and two different United States squads during the event. Lafrenière will also line up against two other Oilers prospects who were picked for the American teams: defenceman Asher Barnett and recently selected goaltender Ryan Cameron.
The showcase is part of the road to the 2026-27 World Junior Championship, which will be hosted in Edmonton and Red Deer. Canada’s group includes Czechia, Latvia, Norway and Switzerland, with preliminary-round games at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Group B features Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States, with preliminary-round games at Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer.
Canada’s roster also includes recent top draft picks Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff, and Misha Donskov will coach after serving as an assistant on last year’s team.
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