2024 World Junior Summer Showcase: 3 things learned on Day 3 | NHL.com

Sunday was the third 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. — Aatos Koivu would like nothing more than to earn a roster spot for the Finland National Junior Team and experience the tournament that his father twice did.

The 18-year-old right-shot center (6-foot-1, 170 pounds), selected in the third round (No. 70) by the Montreal Canadiens at the 2024 NHL Draft, is in the initial phase of doing just that as an invite for his country at the World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena this week.

“I know [Saku Koivu] enjoyed that time, and he told me how special the World Juniors happens to be,” Aatos said of his father. “He reminded me to just go out there and have fun. These are super big tournaments and not everyone can be here even though they would want to be, for sure.

“It’s a very special thing that I have a chance to be here, and it’s something I just want to enjoy and make the best of it.”

Saku Koivu, chosen by the Canadiens in the first round (No. 21) of the 1993 NHL Draft, represented Finland at the WJC in 1993 and 1994. He had 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 14 WJC games but never returned home with a medal.

Aatos had 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 48 games combined for the TPS U-18 and U-20 teams last season. He also played four games for TPS in Liiga, his country’s top professional league, and will begin there this season.

Before that, however, he wants to impress at the Showcase.

“A very big thing for me is to earn a spot on the Under-20 World Juniors team,” he said. “I definitely want to show to the coaches, the staff, everyone, that I want to be on the team, and I believe I could be a special player and a good player.”

Here are three things learned Sunday: