2024 World Junior Summer Showcase: 3 things learned on Day 8

Friday was the eighth 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. -- Calum Ritchie has an NHL contract and he hopes a roster spot with the Colorado Avalanche this season.

The 19-year-old forward, chosen by Colorado with the No. 27 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, signed a three-year, entry-level contract July 8.

"I definitely feel I learned a lot this season, grew my game a lot and I'm going to head into [training] camp and try my best," Ritchie said Friday, before Canada's 8-6 win against Finland. "That's my goal, obviously, to make the NHL."

That chance comes now that he's fully healthy. He played the 2022-23 season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, and surgery to repair the injury sidelined him for the first two months of last season. But he recovered well enough to lead Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League with 80 points (28 goals, 52 assists) in 50 regular-season games, and in the OHL playoffs he was second among all players with 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) in 21 games to help Oshawa reach the OHL finals.

"I think all aspects of my game have really improved," he said. "I learned so much from my coaches this year in Oshawa, and then on our big playoff run there. So it was a great experience to have and I learned so much all around, all aspects of my game."

Having a healthy offseason to add strength has been key for Ritchie (6-foot-2, 185 pounds).

"I've already put on like 12 pounds since the season ended," he said. "I'm feeling good and I'm feeling stronger. So it's exciting."

Ritchie could be the eventual answer to the second-line center question the Avalanche have faced since Nazem Kadri departed after Colorado won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

"[The Avalanche] expect a lot from me, and I'm really glad they can see finally a future in me," Ritchie said. "I'm just trying to work as hard as I can and I'm going to try to see how I do at [training] camp and give myself a chance."

Here are three things learned Friday:

Slukynsky excited for college, special roommate

Hampton Slukynsky will be moving into a new room at Western Michigan University with an old roommate.

The Los Angeles Kings goalie prospect — selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft (No. 118) — will be sharing a dorm with his older brother, Grant Slukynsky, as they start at Western Michigan together.

"It's huge," Hampton said of having his brother there. "We're both new there so going through everything, getting to know everyone, it's huge just having someone you know right away to come in with, just go grab food with or just to hang out with."

Hampton, who turned 19 years old last month, had been committed to Northern Michigan, where Grant played last season. But with coach Grant Potulny leaving to become coach of Hartford of the American Hockey League, and his assistants also departing, the brothers decided to change course.

"All four coaches left, so that opened up the door for us to go somewhere else," Hampton said. "We took advantage of that and decided on Western. We heard nothing but great things about everything there, everyone there. So it was a pretty easy decision once we looked at everything and just saw how everything worked there."

Slukynsky was voted the best goalie in the United States Hockey League last season after going 28-3-0 with a 1.86 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and five shutouts in 33 games with Fargo. He's focused on making the United States team for the 2025 WJC after attending the World Junior Summer Showcase last year.

"I think that one of the things that gives Hampton a chance is he's driven, he's coachable, he's athletic, he's quick," U.S. goalie coach David Lassonde said. "I just think that he has a great mindset about it. And I don't think for our sake, for us, Northern Michigan, Western Michigan, that doesn't make a difference. We just want them, for our sake, to get minutes during the first half of the season so we can see where their games at in terms of our evaluation of them for what it is we're doing."

Tuhkala making most of national team chance

Arttu Tuhkala never played a game for Finland's national team until the Five Nations Tournament in February, and the right-shot defenseman has continued to impress during the World Junior Summer Showcase.

"Arrtu is like a late bloomer," Finland coach Lauri Mikkola said Thursday. "February was his first time with the national team, he never played U-18 or U-17 or U-16. He's a little bit of a late bloomer but he's very skillful guy."

Tuhkala (6-foot, 172), who will turn 19 on Aug. 7, had 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 45 games with Lulea's team in Sweden's junior league last season but was passed over in the 2024 NHL Draft.

He's out not just to earn a spot for Finland at the WJC, but to show NHL scouts what they missed out on.

"I think that's the key to the game, that you have to be angry sometimes," Tuhkala said. "Just make sure that you're the best."

He'll get to showcase himself further this season in Sweden. He's expected to be loaned by Lulea to Bjorkloven in Allsvenskan, the second professional division in Sweden, to get more ice time against older competition.

"It's about getting bigger and stronger, and just improving my defensive skills also," he said.

Berglund no stranger to physical play

Sweden forward Jack Berglund (Philadelphia Flyers) wore a bandage on the bridge of his nose after getting cut late in the second period of a 7-5 win against the United States on Friday, but he wasn't concerned by the injury.

"Stick or visor I don't really know," he said. "Only three stitches so I'm good."

The injury didn't keep Berglund from his usual spot around the front of the net in the offensive zone. He scored from there during the first period and provided a screen that allowed Theo Lindstein (St. Louis Blues) to score in the second.

"When you have this size (6-3, 209), why not use it?" Berglund said. "I'm trying to be all over the ice really but especially on the power play when I have that role, it's to be in front of the net and help my teammates to score. Just try to do my job, get the pucks back and play physical."

He's certainly impressed Sweden coach Magnus Havelid, who used Berglund at center on the top line with Otto Stenberg (St. Louis Blues) and Lucas Pettersson (Anaheim Ducks) on Friday.

"He has good size but he uses it in a smart way," Havelid said. "He is good playing with the puck, he makes good decisions. He is not a high-speed guy but he ... makes good decisions. He's a very important player."