- NHLPA Rookie Showcase moves to Chicago for the first time, running July 28 through 30
- 2026 first overall pick Gavin McKenna is expected to headline the class
- Read below for the venue change, the trading card angle and who else could get an invite
The NHLPA Rookie Showcase is leaving Washington behind.
This year’s edition moves to Chicago for the first time. The 16th version runs July 28 through 30 at the Blackhawks Ice Center Presented by Fifth Third Bank, per RMNB.
Participants get announced in the coming days, and 2026 first overall pick Gavin McKenna is the name to watch. The Maple Leafs took him at the top of the draft in June.
NHLPA already had some fun with his draft night:
Top rookies and prospects pull on their official team jerseys for photo and video shoots at the showcase. Those images end up on Upper Deck trading cards, memorabilia and promotional material for the season ahead.
It also gives young players a first look at the business side of the sport, from collectibles to how their name, image and likeness can connect them with fans.
Those rookie cards carry real value now. Macklin Celebrini’s Exquisite Rookie Shield card just won the ESPY for Sports Trading Card of the Year:
The switch changes both the address and the calendar. Washington’s MedStar Capitals Iceplex hosted the event five times, in 2019 and again from 2022 through 2025, and it usually landed in September right before training camps opened. Before the Washington run, Toronto held it.
Washington could still send a few faces to Chicago. Capitals prospects Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas are among those who could land invites once the full list drops.
