Dima Zhilkin, Brady Knowling set to attend World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor
Windsor, Ont. – A pair of Saginaw Spirit players will join their respective countries’ World Junior Summer Showcase roster this weekend. The 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase is set for July 26-Aug 1, 2026 at the WFCU Centre. Goaltender Brady Knowling will join Team USA, while Hockey Canada announced forward Dima Zhilkin to its roster of camp participants on Friday afternoon.
The 2008-born Zhilkin is entering his third season with the Spirit. A native of Windsor, Zhilkin was named the 27th captain in team history last year. He posted career-highs across the board with 36G-39A—75P in 59 games played during the 2025-2026 season, in addition to three goals and an assist in four playoff games.
Zhilkin joined Canada for the 2026 U18 World Championships this spring, where he registered five goals and two assists in just five games to lead his team in goals and points. He first represented his country at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, with three goals in five games enroute to a bronze medal. Zhilkin is considered a top prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft.
The Spirit signed dual-citizen goaltender Brady Knowling earlier this summer after he spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Knowling was originally drafted by Saginaw in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection (3rd round, 60th overall). He posted a 15-13-3-1 record in 2025-26 with a 3.51 GAA and .883 SV% with the NTDP’s U18 team in 2025-26.
Knowling led Team USA to a Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal in 2025 with four wins, a 2.35 GAA and .914 SV%. He was also a part of Team USA’s IIHF World Junior Championship team in January of 2026.
Team USA begins its World Junior Summer Showcase schedule with a split-squad set of games on July 26. Team USA White plays Finland at 12:00pm, while Team USA Blue plays Sweden at 4:00pm.
Team Canada will practice July 27 and 28 before taking on Sweden on July 29, Finland on July 30 and the United States on Aug. 1.
Tickets for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase are on sale now starting at $18 plus applicable fees. Full event packages and team-specific ticket packages can also be purchased. Visit HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets for more information.
