Carter Amico is making a strong case for himself at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, Ontario, and it’s not the kind of buzz the Flyers likely expected to get from him this quickly.
The Philadelphia defense prospect arrived at the tournament as one of several Flyers players in action. Jack Nesbitt and 2026 second-rounder Brek Liske are representing Canada, seventh-round pick Max Laatikainen is on Finland’s first pair, and Jack Murtagh is also skating for Team USA. But Amico has been the one drawing the most attention.
The Flyers’ 38th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft has long been known for his 6-foot-5 frame and above-average skating for a player his size. At this showcase, though, he’s looked like much more than a big, mobile defender. He’s been pushing hard to earn a spot on the World Juniors roster, and he’s played like someone determined to force the issue.
That showed up right away in Team USA’s game against Sweden last Monday. Amico set the tone on a shift that ended with him tipping in a teammate’s shot for the opening goal.
Carter Amico tips Landon Nycz's feed and it's 1-0 USA.
Heck of a shift from Amico altogether there. #WJSS
- Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) July 27, 2026
The goal was only part of it. Wearing No.
2, Amico carried the puck through coverage, used his skating and puck protection to get deep in the offensive zone, then made the smart play to keep possession by moving the puck to a teammate in support. He didn’t stop there.
He stayed involved around the net and wound up in position to finish the play. Sweden’s defense on the sequence was rough, but Amico still made the most of it and showed exactly why he’s an intriguing prospect.
A few days later, he picked up an assist as well, sending the puck through traffic to Calgary Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach for a goal.
His work has not gone unnoticed. Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff included Amico among his Day 4 standouts, writing:
“Where did this tournament come from? In two years with the National Team Development Program, Amico had just one goal.
Last season, he had one regular season goal and then three in the playoffs. That felt like a breakthrough for a guy who hadn’t really put a ton of pucks on net since he was about 13 years old.
But Amico has been outstanding at this tournament, creating some high-quality offensive chances every single night. He’s one of those guys that really had to find a way to play their way onto the main roster, but it feels like he’s been one of the most impactful defensemen not named Chase Reid.
He scored in today’s game, but it was called back due to a crease violation. It’s too bad because it felt like he deserved the goal given how well he played today.”
That kind of praise matters, especially with Amico entering his Draft+2 season. He’s older than some of the other players in the pool, but he’s still standing out among them - even in a group that includes Chase Reid, who was projected to go in the first three picks of the 2026 NHL Draft just last month.
For Amico, the timing is important. His draft year was derailed by a knee injury in November while he was with the U.S.
National Team Development Program, limiting him to 17 games. The Flyers still used the 38th pick on him, betting on the upside of a right-shot defenseman with size, skating, and physicality.
Last fall brought more frustration. He moved to Boston University with some optimism that the injury issues were behind him, but he never really found much traction there and finished with no points in 18 games. When top prospect Tynan Lawrence joined the Terriers, Amico was the one sent to the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks in a move that wasn’t a trade, but sort of worked like one to make the roster fit.
That stint went better. Amico logged a heavy workload in Muskegon and, by all accounts, played strong hockey even without piling up points. His best stretch came in the playoffs, where he scored three goals and seven points in 16 games.
Now he’s headed back to Boston University with a bigger role in mind, and this season looms large. If he doesn’t take a meaningful step, it becomes difficult to picture him reaching the NHL anytime soon. The path was always going to take time, but another uneven season would make that road even longer.
For now, though, the early signs are encouraging. Amico’s showing in Windsor suggests he’s using the summer well, and it gives Team USA a reason to keep watching him closely as he tries to turn this momentum into a bigger season with the Terriers and, eventually, a World Juniors roster spot.
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