Michigan State hockey coach Adam Nightingale and several Spartans spent last week in Windsor, Ontario, taking part in the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase. 

The showcase consists of workouts and scrimmages, acting as a selection process for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship rosters, the highest international competition for players 20 and under. 

Nightingale was named head coach of the 2027 U.S. National Junior Team in March and led Team USA at the showcase. 

MSU was one of the most-represented NCAA teams at the event, with eight players and two commits across the four participating countries: U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland. 

MSU’s participants

Defensemen Chase Reid and Tommy Bleyl and forwards Mason West and Jack Hextall were among the freshmen named to the U.S. Summer Showcase roster. Sophomore defenseman Sean Barnhill and junior center Cullen Potter were also on the roster. The U.S. started with two groups (White and Blue), before cutting its squad down to one team halfway through the week. 

Freshman center Ethan Belchetz (Canada) and sophomore center Eric Nilson (Sweden) participated for their respective countries. Nilson and Team Sweden won gold at last year’s WJC.

"It's fun," Nilson told NHL.com about Nightingale coaching against him. "We talked before the Showcase and he just told me to keep my head up and watch out for his guys."

Brooks Rogowski, a committed forward, and Nick Bogas, a committed defenseman, were also named to the U.S. Summer Showcase roster. 

Reid was the only returning player listed on the U.S. Summer Showcase roster. He competed at the 2026 World Juniors, alongside sophomore forward Ryker Lee and junior forward Shane Vansaghi.