The annual NHLPA Summer Showcase is a chance for the NHL’s top prospects to pose for their official Upper Deck rookie hockey cards, sign memorabilia, wear jerseys and hold sticks that can be carved into tiny pieces to insert into cards, have their head scanned to appear in a video game, and do pretty much anything else the NHLPA can think of to turn these prospects into products.
But, as crass celebrations of consumerism go, it’s a pretty fun event. It inevitably results in some fun interviews and photos, and it’s also a chance for the next generation of NHL stars to hobnob and goof around before they face off against each other in the more serious atmosphere of an NHL arena.
Frankly, one of the main purposes of the NHLPA is to put as much of the profits produced by and around the NHL in the hands of the players, and this is one of the early opportunities for these young players to line their pockets with the fruits of their labour, aside from the signing bonuses from their entry-level contracts, of course. If they're going to be products, they may as well profit from it.
This summer, the Canucks will be represented by Brock Boeser, which makes a lot of sense. He couldn’t take part in this kind of thing when he needed to maintain his NCAA eligibility and he’s about to embark on a highly anticipated rookie campaign.
Boeser is expected to not only make the Canucks out of training camp, but also to play significant minutes as part of the top-six, including potentially playing on the first power play unit. Heading into the season, Boeser is a clear cut Calder Trophy contender, though he’ll face stiff competition from the likes of Nico Hischier, Clayton Keller, Charlie McAvoy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and many more.
It’s a lot of pressure to put on a 20-year-old kid, but Boeser is equipped with an even keel and a humble, thoughtful disposition that should serve him well in the season to come. But at the Summer Showcase, he can still be a kid, playing ping pong and rod hockey, and signing innumerable pieces of collectible kitsch.
I can’t really hate on hockey cards, of course, as they were my entry-way into hockey fandom in the pre-internet, pre-every-game-televised days of my youth. It’s the only reason I knew who Petri Skriko, Tony Tanti, and Paul Reinhart were when I was a kid. I know that kids will delight in getting a card or puck signed by one of these young prospects, even if I cringe at the way these seemingly personal touches are pseudo-mass-produced.
The Canucks have been previously represented at past NHLPA showcases by the likes of Thatcher Demko, Bo Horvat, Jake Virtanen, Hunter Shinkaruk, Nicklas Jensen and, weirdly, Ronalds Kenins.
Boeser will be joined by the following fellow prospects:
Jake Bean (Hurricanes)
Anders Bjork (Bruins)
Jeremy Bracco (Maple Leafs)
Alex DeBrincat (Blackhawks)
Julien Gauthier (Hurricanes)
Cody Glass (Golden Knights)
Denis Gurianov (Stars)
Brett Howden (Lightning)
Max Jones (Ducks)
Tyson Jost (Avalanche)
Noah Juulsen (Canadiens)
Clayton Keller (Coyotes)
Luke Kunin (Wild)
Charlie McAvoy (Bruins)
Michael McLeod (Devils)
Philippe Myers (Flyers)
Tyler Parsons (Flames)
Jack Roslovic (Jets)
Sam Steel (Ducks)
Owen Tippett (Panthers)
Colin White (Senators)
