GRAND FORKS, North Dakota (KNFL/KFGO/UND Athletics) – Two North Dakota forwards were named to the 2026 Team USA World Junior Summer Showcase roster on Tuesday morning, as announced by USA Hockey.
Incoming freshman forward Cooper Simpson and future Fighting Hawk forward Carter Sanderson were two of the 26 forwards named to the roster and will participate at the event, set for July 26-Aug. 1 at WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario.
The week-long World Junior Summer Showcase will include 10 international games. The 47 U.S. players will first be split into two teams: Team Blue and Team White, with each team playing games on July 26 and 27. Beginning on July 29 against Sweden, a consolidated Team USA roster will play the remaining three contests of the event.
Simpson will join the Fighting Hawks in 2026-27 after a dominant season with Youngstown in the USHL, where he scored 34 goals and dished out 40 assists for 74 points. He was a finalist for USHL Forward of the Year and USHL Player of the Year and is a third round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2025.
Sanderson will take his talents to Calgary in the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season before joining North Dakota in 2027-28. The Pierre, S.D., native helped captain Muskegon to the USHL Clark Cup Finals last season and recorded 34 points (17G, 17A) in 54 games before adding seven points (4G, 3A) in 14 playoff games.
Last season, UND had three representatives on Team USA at the 2026 World Juniors — EJ Emery, Caleb Heil and Will Zellers.
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