2024 World Junior Summer Showcase: 3 things learned on Day 3

Sunday was the third day of the World Junior Summer Showcase to help determine the rosters for the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, to be held in Ottawa from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Aatos Koivu would like nothing more than to earn a roster spot for the Finland National Junior Team and experience the tournament that his father twice did.

The 18-year-old right-shot center (6-foot-1, 170 pounds), selected in the third round (No. 70) by the Montreal Canadiens at the 2024 NHL Draft, is in the initial phase of doing just that as an invite for his country at the World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena this week.

"I know [Saku Koivu] enjoyed that time, and he told me how special the World Juniors happens to be," Aatos said of his father. "He reminded me to just go out there and have fun. These are super big tournaments and not everyone can be here even though they would want to be, for sure.

"It's a very special thing that I have a chance to be here, and it's something I just want to enjoy and make the best of it."

Saku Koivu, chosen by the Canadiens in the first round (No. 21) of the 1993 NHL Draft, represented Finland at the WJC in 1993 and 1994. He had 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 14 WJC games but never returned home with a medal.

Aatos had 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 48 games combined for the TPS U-18 and U-20 teams last season. He also played four games for TPS in Liiga, his country’s top professional league, and will begin there this season.

Before that, however, he wants to impress at the Showcase.

"A very big thing for me is to earn a spot on the Under-20 World Juniors team," he said. "I definitely want to show to the coaches, the staff, everyone, that I want to be on the team, and I believe I could be a special player and a good player."

Here are three things learned Sunday:

Eiserman determined to earn chance

Cole Eiserman, selected in the first round (No. 20) by the New York Islanders in the 2024 draft, brought a determined mindset and attitude to the Summer Showcase.

The 17-year-old left wing was invited to the Showcase last year but was not a part of USA Hockey's selection camp in December. It is a goal of his to earn a roster spot and help the United States at this tournament.

"It's definitely a different year," Eiserman said. "The draft is over and you kind of relax a little bit, and now it's just strictly trying to make a hockey team and doing the stuff that the coach says. I definitely feel a lot more comfortable this year and I'm excited."

Eiserman scored 58 goals in 57 games with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team last season and became the program's all-time leader with 127 goals in 119 games.

"I think the obvious to him and what he gets really hyper-focused on in scoring, and he's an elite scorer," U.S. general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said. "Scoring is the hardest thing to do in the game, but the part that we need him to do is to be more complete and understand you have to be committed to the defensive side of the puck.

“We all watch it play out as fans every year in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the [phrase] everybody uses is 'buy-in'. It's hard, but we need players to buy in."

Stenberg’s switch

Otto Stenberg (St. Louis Blues) will spend this season with Malmo of the Swedish Hockey League after terminating his contract with Frolunda.

"I changed my contract," he said. "I mean, Frolunda is a packed team and as a young player you want to play, and it's important to play. I think I have more opportunities for a bigger role by playing more minutes in Malmo, so that's why I made the move."

Stenberg (5-11, 185) had six points (three goals, three assists), 36 shots on goal and averaged 11:38 in ice time in 31 games with Frolunda in Sweden's top professional men's league last season. He'll likely earn a letter in a leadership role for Sweden as one of the key returning players for the team that took home the silver medal last year.

"I've had good conversations with the Blues about the change," Stenberg said. "I mean, I played last year, but it was around 10 or 12 minutes a game. That worked the first year, but now I want to take bigger steps.

"The plan right now is to have a good season in Sweden next year and then maybe play in the United States next year, but we haven't decided yet. I'm just focusing on a good season and then we'll see what happens."

Honing in on Hensler

Logan Hensler is already a player NHL scouts have pegged as a likely top top-20 candidate in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The 17-year-old defenseman (6-2, 194) possesses good size, strength and smarts, qualities he hopes will earn him a spot on the U.S. National Junior Team for inclusion in the 2025 WJC. The right-handed shot is one of 16 defensemen invited to the Summer Showcase by USA Hockey.

"It's good to be out here," Hensler told NHL.com. "It's good to see the competition; it's been fast-paced and a lot of fun. When I'm at my best, I'm a two-way, puck-moving, defenseman who can also create offense. I can play both a defensive role and offensive role ... it really depends on the role for the team. I know I can play offense and I know my defense can be a little bit better, but I'm working on that for sure."

Hensler had 32 points (four goals, 28 assists) in 61 games with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team last season and will continue his development at the University of Wisconsin this season.

"I've watched Logan grow with U-17s and U-18s, and I he's a big kid, great skater with a good stick and he has a really good offensive mind for the game," said University of Denver defenseman and returning U.S. National Junior Team member Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild). "I love chatting with him. I feel he's a hell of a player and he's got a really good shot to make this team."