Incoming Everett Silvertips forward Matias Vanhanen has been named to Team Finland for the upcoming World Junior Summer Showcase.
The event, which runs from July 27- August 2, is a key part of the evaluation process for players gunning to represent their country at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, which begins on December 26, 2025, in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minn.
Vanhanen, 17, is fresh off of signing a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Silvertips last week.
https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/1945589450190499996
Everett selected the 5-foot-10, 170-pound forward with the 31st overall pick in the first round of the 2025 CHL Import Draft.
Vanhanen picked up 17 goals and 30 assists for 47 points in 42 games with HIFK U20 in 2024-25, winning league Rookie of the Year honours.
He also snagged three points (2G-1A) in four games at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and earned a five-game call-up to HIFK’s pro squad in December of 2024.
The Nokia, Fin. product is the lone WHLer on Finland’s 25-player Summer Showcase roster, though NHL prospects like fellow Silvertip Julius Miettinen (Seattle Kraken) and 2025 WHL Champions with Medicine Hat Tigers Veeti Vaisanen (Utah Mammoth) and Niilopekka Muhonen are expected to be heavily considered for the final roster.
“Vanhanen is a forward with high puck control and skating skills,” Silvertips European scout Alessandro Benin said at the time of Vanhanen’s signing with Everett. “He is able to make good decisions with the puck. He established himself as a top-six forward with the U18 Finnish national team in just his first year with them, and has experience with one of the best professional teams in Europe.”
The World Junior Summer Showcase also features teams from Canada, the United States (including Kraken prospect and Edmonton Oil Kings defender Blake Fiddler) and Sweden.
Team practices are slated to begin on July 25 before matches kick off on July 27.
Finland will open the tournament against USA White on July 27 at 1:00 p.m. CST.
