Four Pioneers Look to Make Their Mark at the World Junior Summer Showcase
7/28/2026 4:11:00 PM | Ice Hockey
Denver hockey’s Mikey Berchild and Blake Fiddler are with Team USA while Ryan Lin and Daxon Rudolph are with Canada this week in Windsor, Ontario
DENVER – Four University of Denver hockey players aim to make an initial impression for their respective nations for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship this week as they take part in the annual World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, Ontario.
Incoming freshmen Mikey Berchild and Blake Fiddler are with the United States while fellow rookies Ryan Lin and Daxon Rudolph are with Canada for the week-long evaluation camp that features practices and 10 exhibition games in preparation for this year's under-20 tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, Canada from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. Finland and Sweden also have teams at the WFCU Centre in Windsor this week that will compete against the Americans and Canadians.
Team USA has been practicing since July 22 and began exhibition play on July 26. A Canada-USA matchup wraps up the festivities on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 1.
While every player at the Summer Showcase are on their respective team's radar to make the final roster, not every player will be invited again to training camp in December before the final team is announced. Additionally, if an under-20 player wasn't invited to the Summer Showcase, they are still eligible to be invited to training camp in five months and make the official National Junior Team.
All four Denver players have past international experience, with Berchild having previously played for Team USA at the National Team Development Program the last two seasons (2024-2026).
Berchild was on Team USA's squad for the 2026 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and recorded six points (4g/2a) in five games and was named one of the top three players on the squad. He won a bronze medal with the United States at the 2025 U18 Worlds after totaling eight points (4g/4a) in seven games and also helped the Americans to a gold medal victory at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games after leading the tournament in points (9) and assists (4) in four contests in South Korea. Berchild also competed for the U.S. at the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Fiddler joined Berchild in that bronze medal win at the 2025 U18 Worlds and totaled three points (2g/1a) in seven games at the tournament. Fiddler captained Team USA at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, compiling four points (1g/3a) in five contests and also suited up in nine games for the NTDP in 2024-25. A dual citizen, he also played in eight games and won gold at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge while skating for Canada White.
Lin was named one of the top three players on Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championships after tying for first in scoring among all tournament defensemen and tying for second overall on the squad with six points (1g/5a) in five games. He also registered two points (1g/1a) in seven games to help Canada win the gold medal at the 2025 U18 Worlds and helped Canada White win the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Additionally, Lin earned a bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (2g/3a) and led all tournament defensemen in points (5) and assists (4) at the 2024 Youth Olympics with Team Canada.
Rudolph won gold medals with Canada at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championships and the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with Canada White. He also represented Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup that took home a bronze medal (2g/2a) and competed at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games.
Canada owns the most World Junior Championships all-time with 20, with the nation last winning in 2023. The country also won in 2022 and 2021 and picked up four titles in a six-tournament span by also being victorious in 2018. The Canadians earned a bronze medal in last year's tournament in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
The U.S. has won a medal in eight of the last 11 IIHF World Juniors, which includes four golds (2025, 2024, 2021, 2017), one silver (2019) and three bronze (2023, 2018, 2016). Denver Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle led the Americans to the title at both the 2024 and 2025 World Junior Championships.
TICKETS: Five-game mini plans and group tickets for the DU hockey's championship defense campaign in 2026-27 are on sale now. Click here for more information.
Incoming freshmen Mikey Berchild and Blake Fiddler are with the United States while fellow rookies Ryan Lin and Daxon Rudolph are with Canada for the week-long evaluation camp that features practices and 10 exhibition games in preparation for this year's under-20 tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, Canada from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. Finland and Sweden also have teams at the WFCU Centre in Windsor this week that will compete against the Americans and Canadians.
Team USA has been practicing since July 22 and began exhibition play on July 26. A Canada-USA matchup wraps up the festivities on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 1.
While every player at the Summer Showcase are on their respective team's radar to make the final roster, not every player will be invited again to training camp in December before the final team is announced. Additionally, if an under-20 player wasn't invited to the Summer Showcase, they are still eligible to be invited to training camp in five months and make the official National Junior Team.
All four Denver players have past international experience, with Berchild having previously played for Team USA at the National Team Development Program the last two seasons (2024-2026).
Berchild was on Team USA's squad for the 2026 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and recorded six points (4g/2a) in five games and was named one of the top three players on the squad. He won a bronze medal with the United States at the 2025 U18 Worlds after totaling eight points (4g/4a) in seven games and also helped the Americans to a gold medal victory at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games after leading the tournament in points (9) and assists (4) in four contests in South Korea. Berchild also competed for the U.S. at the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Fiddler joined Berchild in that bronze medal win at the 2025 U18 Worlds and totaled three points (2g/1a) in seven games at the tournament. Fiddler captained Team USA at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, compiling four points (1g/3a) in five contests and also suited up in nine games for the NTDP in 2024-25. A dual citizen, he also played in eight games and won gold at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge while skating for Canada White.
Lin was named one of the top three players on Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championships after tying for first in scoring among all tournament defensemen and tying for second overall on the squad with six points (1g/5a) in five games. He also registered two points (1g/1a) in seven games to help Canada win the gold medal at the 2025 U18 Worlds and helped Canada White win the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Additionally, Lin earned a bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (2g/3a) and led all tournament defensemen in points (5) and assists (4) at the 2024 Youth Olympics with Team Canada.
Rudolph won gold medals with Canada at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championships and the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with Canada White. He also represented Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup that took home a bronze medal (2g/2a) and competed at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games.
Canada owns the most World Junior Championships all-time with 20, with the nation last winning in 2023. The country also won in 2022 and 2021 and picked up four titles in a six-tournament span by also being victorious in 2018. The Canadians earned a bronze medal in last year's tournament in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
The U.S. has won a medal in eight of the last 11 IIHF World Juniors, which includes four golds (2025, 2024, 2021, 2017), one silver (2019) and three bronze (2023, 2018, 2016). Denver Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle led the Americans to the title at both the 2024 and 2025 World Junior Championships.
TICKETS: Five-game mini plans and group tickets for the DU hockey's championship defense campaign in 2026-27 are on sale now. Click here for more information.
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Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Hockey on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Hockey on X
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Hockey on Instagram
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