Which Nashville Predators Prospects Will Play in the World Junior Summer Showcase?
Three Nashville Predators prospects are about to get some more valuable experience next week in Ontario, Canada.
From July 26 through Aug. 1, the World Junior Summer Showcase for hockey will be taking place in Windsor, Ontario at the WFCU Centre. For the Predators, the organization will have three of its future players play for Team USA during the event.
Nashville’s No. 10 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft Wyatt Cullen, No. 31 overall pick Tommy Bleyel and 2025 second-round pick Jacob Rombach will all be a part of Team USA’s roster. The summer showcase event is used as a bench mark for freshly drafted players. Those who show out in next week’s showcase could have the opportunity to participate in the World Junior Championship in the final week of the calendar year.
Cullen and Bleyel both were highly-valued draft prospects that showed off their skills at the Predators’ development camp earlier this summer. Bleyel showed promising potential with his defensive skills while Cullen showed what he is capable of in terms of making things happen on offense. While Cullen was not a prominent goal-scorer, he showed the ability to get an offense in order and make plays for his teammates.
Rombach was not an invitee to Nashville’s development camp this summer, but if he is able to show he has improved as a defenseman then maybe he could find himself a role in Nashville’s system.
Team USA will play eight games during the World Junior Summer Showcase, including an intrasquad game on July 24 in Detroit, Michigan.
Here is Team USA’s full schedule.
Team USA's Schedule at the World Junior Summer Showcase
July 24: USA White vs. USA Blue, 6 p.m. CT (Detroit, Michigan)
July 26: USA White vs. Team Finland, 11 a.m. CT
July 26: USA Blue vs. Team Sweden, 3 p.m. CT
July 27: USA Blue vs. Team Finland, 2 p.m. CT
July 27: USA White vs. Team Sweden, 6 p.m. CT
July 29: Team USA vs. Team Finland, 2 p.m. CT
July 30: Team USA vs. Team Sweden, 2 p.m. CT
Aug. 1: Team USA vs. Team Canada, 3 p.m. CT
It will be interesting to see how all three Nashville prospects perform in the tournament, especially because they will be going up against recent draft picks of other NHL franchises. Cullen and Bleyel should have a heightened interest in monitoring since they are the first two draft picks under new President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chris MacFarland. If they perform well, perhaps it could serve as a positive indication for the future of the Predators.
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Graham Baakko writes for both Nashville Predators On SI and Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham graduated from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as an intern for GamecockCentral.