EDMONTON, AB -The World Junior Summer Showcase kicked off Monday in Kamloops, BC, with four Oilers prospects invited to the tournament.
Oilers 2018 draft picks Evan Bouchard, Ryan McLeod and Olivier Rodrigue are representing Canada while 2017 seventh-rounder Phil Kemp is competing with Team USA.
The event pits four teams against one another, with Canada and the United States each fielding split-squads early in the tournament then icing one team each for the remainder of it. Finland and Sweden are also at the annual circuit, which serves as an evaluation period for December's World Junior Championship.
Bouchard and Rodrigue were on Canada White, while McLeod played for Canada Red.
Kemp, the 6-foot-3, 201-pound defender, suited up for USA White.
Canada White was edged 3-2 by USA Blue on Tuesday.
Bouchard paired up with Arizona Coyotes 2017 first-round selection Pierre-Olivier Joseph on the first defence unit. The 10th-overall selection in this year's draft managed to muster one assist in the match, as Barrett Hayton tipped the rearguard's point shot past USA Blue netminder Kyle Keyser.
Rodrigue stopped eight of 10 shots on goal, splitting goalkeeping duties with Matthew Welsh.
Kemp and McLeod faced one another on Tuesday, as USA White downed Canada Red 7-5 - despite Canada Red overcoming a three-goal deficit at one point.
McLeod ended the night with one point, notching an assist on Antoine Morand's power-play goal just 48 seconds into the third period.
Kemp, who is determined to have a strong outing at the event after being
snubbed by Team USA
at last year's World Junior Championship, was held off the scoresheet.
"That definitely fired me up for the next year and a half to try to get ready," Kemp said at Oilers Development Camp, stressing the importance the circuit will have. "It's huge. I'm going to do whatever I can this summer leading into the Fall."
Now that the split-squad games have been completed, Canada and USA will each field one respective team for the rest of their games. Canada will make no cuts and rotate players in their lineup for their remaining matches.
Kemp was not one of the 13 players Team USA released on Wednesday.
Canada will face Finland on Thursday at 7:00 PM. USA will take on Sweden at 2:00 PM.
FUTURE WATCH: Summer Showcase update
Updates from Oilers prospects Phil Kemp, Ryan McLeod, Evan Bouchard and Olivier Rodrigue at the World Junior Summer Showcase
