4 Kings Prospects Begin Play at World Juniors Summer Showcase Events

Happy Sunday, Insiders!

Four LA Kings prospects have begun play at the 2024 World Juniors Summer Showcase event, representing the United States and Canada.

Three Kings will wear the red, white and blue with Team USA – Hampton Slukynsky, James Reeder and Matthew Mania – while goaltender Carter George will represent Team Canada, fresh off signing his entry-level contract with the Kings earlier this week.

The US players get underway today in a pair of games. USA Hockey invites enough players to fill two rosters, with all three Kings prospects in action here this morning for their first game of the camp. Mania and Reeder are skating with USA White against Finland, while Slukynsky will suit up for USA Blue against Sweden later in the day. The matchups will switch off tomorrow, with USA Blue taking on Finland in the early game and USA White facing Sweden later in the day. Team USA will then merge into one squad later in the week with George and Team Canada joining the mix for two games heading into the weekend.

Slukynsky is one of five goaltenders suiting up for the United States, attending the summer showcase for the second straight season. He had a strong showing last summer and was ultimately named to Team USA for the World Junior A Challenge, setting him up to be on the World Juniors roster this winter. Two of the five goaltenders invited are returning from last season’s roster, though Slukynsky is expected to strongly compete for a spot on the final roster. Slukynsky was selected as the recipient of the 2024 USA Hockey Dave Peterson Goaltender of the Year Award on a dominant Fargo Force squad in the USHL. He’s considered to be a strong contender to make the final roster for the tournament in December.

Reeder and Mania are attending their first summer showcase. Mania, a 2023 fifth-round selection and Reeder, a 2024 seventh-round selection, are eligible only for this season’s tournament with their respective birthdays. Reeder was a standout at the World Junior-A challenge this past season, as he scored eight goals from six games played, helping lead Team USA to a bronze medal, with Slukynsky in net for that tournament. Mania has been playing in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves, where he’s continued his progress as a puck-moving defenseman. More of an uphill battle for the skaters, facing a pool of 16 defensemen and 25 forwards, but an opportunity to distinguish themselves over the course of the games this week. Spots to be won with strong showings.

For George, more on his selection HERE, but he’s one of four goaltenders named to the squad for Team Canada. Expect him to play at least a couple of games to show what he can do against a higher level of competition. He’s been Team Canada’s starter in two international events over the last 12 months, most recently at the U-18 World Championships. He’ll be eligible for the next two World Junior Championships with Team Canada and could be the favorite to start in 2026, with a good chance of competing for that role even in 2025.

The full schedule is shown below, shown only for games involving Kings prospects. All games are held at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan except for two of Team Canada’s games, which will be held North of the border in Windsor.

Sunday, July 28
USA White vs. Finland
USA Blue vs. Sweden

Monday, July 29
USA Blue vs. Finland
USA White vs. Sweden

Tuesday, July 30
Canada Red vs. Canada White (Windsor, Ontario)

Wednesday, July 31
United States vs. Finland
Canada vs. Sweden (Windsor, Ontario)

Friday, August 2
Canada vs. Finland
United States vs. Sweden

Friday, August 3
Canada vs. United States

Will recap with any notable moments from players on either team as the showcase event progresses. Chris Peters from Flo Hockey is a good follow on social media for coverage from Plymouth. Peters will join All The Kings Men over the next few weeks with an external evaluation of the four players the Kings selected in the 2024 NHL Draft, including George and Reeder.