Zeev Buium and Cole Eiserman, potential top-15 picks in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft, will be among the 46 players that will play for the United States at the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase.
The camp will be held at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, from July 26-Aug. 3, and include practices and games against prospects from Canada, Sweden and Finland. The event will help the teams begin their evaluations for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held in Ottawa from Dec. 26-Jan 5, 2025.
Buium is No. 4 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2024 draft. The 18-year-old (6-foot, 186 pounds) led NCAA defensemen with 50 points (11 goals, 39 assists) in 42 games as a freshman at the University of Denver. He also had five points (three goals, two assists) and a tournament-best plus-11 rating in helping the U.S. win the gold medal at the 2024 World Juniors.
"With Buium, he brings more of that dynamic game," Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "But equally impressive as a freshman when he went out and put up the offensive numbers that he did ... it's truly impressive. ... His game is dynamic but it's very well managed."
Buium is one of eight players from the 2024 WJC team that will be at the camp, along with goalies Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings) and Sam Hillebrandt (2024 draft eligible), defenseman Drew Fortescue (New York Rangers), and forwards Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals), Oliver Moore (Chicago Blackhawks), Danny Nelson (New York Islanders), and Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers). David Carle, who coached the team, also will return for the 2025 WJC.
Eiserman, No. 12 in Central Scouting's final rankings, led USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team with 58 goals in 57 games this season, and was second with 89 points. The 17-year-old forward (6-foot, 197) is committed to play at Boston University next season.
"Cole is a shooter and scorer and he's always been termed as a shooter and a scorer," Central Scouting's Pat Cullen said. "In the NHL you can't just be a one-trick pony, you have to be as well-rounded a player as you can become and I think Cole got the message that he needed to develop more parts of his game. From the blue line in, he's arguably one of the most dangerous and best prospects that there is in this draft. But I noticed in the second half [of the season] he was working harder on the backcheck, he was working harder on his 'D' zone. You could see that he was taking whatever coaching he was getting from his coaches there and he was trying to become more of a complete player. And I just saw his game became more than just him as a scorer."
The camp also will feature two players eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, NTDP U-18 teammates forward James Hagens and defenseman Logan Hensler. Hagens led the team with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) in 58 games. Hensler had 32 points (four goals, 28 assists) in 61 games.
U.S. WORLD JUNIOR SUMMER SHOWCASE ROSTER
GOALIES: Trey Augustine, Michigan State, NCAA (Detroit Red Wings); Sam Hillebrandt, Barrie, OHL (2024 draft eligible); Nicholas Kempf, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Carsen Musser, Madison, USHL (Utah Hockey Club); Hampton Slukynsky, Fargo, USHL (Los Angeles Kings)
DEFENSEMEN: Zeev Buium, Denver, NCAA (2024 draft eligible); Eric Emery, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Paul Fischer, Notre Dame, NCAA (St. Louis Blues); Lukas Fischer, Sarnia, OHL (2024 draft eligible); Drew Fortescue, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); Logan Hensler, USA U-18, USHL (2025 draft eligible); Cole Hutson, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Adam Kleber, Lincoln, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Matthew Mania, Sudbury, OHL (Los Angeles Kings); Gavin McCarthy, Boston University, NCAA (Buffalo Sabres); Aram Minnetian, Boston College, NCAA (Dallas Stars); Tory Pitner, Youngstown, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Colin Ralph, Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep, HIGH-MN (2024 draft eligible); Zach Schulz, Wisconsin, NCAA (New York Islanders); Andrew Strathmann, Youngstown, USHL (Columbus Blue Jackets); John Whipple, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible)
FORWARDS: Tanner Adams, Providence, NCAA (2024 draft eligible); Kamil Bednarik, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Austin Burnevik, Madison, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Trevor Connelly, Tri-City, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Cole Eiserman, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Jake Fisher, Fargo, USHL (2024 draft eligible); James Hagens, USA U-18, USHL (2025 draft eligible); Beckett Hendrickson, Dubuque, USHL (Boston Bruins); Ryan Leonard, Boston College, NCAA (Washington Capitals); Oliver Moore, Minnesota, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks); Quentin Musty, Sudbury, OHL (San Jose Sharks); Danny Nelson, Notre Dame, NCAA (New York Islanders); Chris Pelosi, Sioux Falls, USHL (Boston Bruins); Gabe Perreault, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); Max Plante, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Noah Powell, Dubuque, USHL (2024 draft eligible); James Reeder, Dubuque, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Jayson Shaugabay, Green Bay, USHL (Tampa Bay Lightning); Teddy Stiga, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Brandon Svoboda, Fargo, USHL (San Jose Sharks); Mac Swanson, Fargo, USHL (2024 draft eligible); Carey Terrance, Erie, OHL (Anaheim Ducks); William Whitelaw, Wisconsin, NCAA (Columbus Blue Jackets); Joey Willis, Saginaw, OHL (Nashville Predators); Brodie Ziemer, USA U-18, USHL (2024 draft eligible)
