Goaltender Filip Larsson arrived early with the rest of Sweden’s under-20 team at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth to get acclimated before the start of the 2017 World Junior Summer Showcase.

His goaltending equipment did not make the trip.

“He lost a bag on the flight over, but I think he got help from Detroit to borrow some equipment so he could go on the ice the second day,” said Sweden coach Tomas Monten.

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The Red Wings, who drafted Larsson in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, helped Larsson get some new equipment so he wouldn’t miss the first couple of practices, which began Tuesday.

Larsson will be playing with another Red Wings draft pick on the Swedish team, defenseman Gustav Lindstrom, drafted 38th overall in the second round of this year's draft.

The U.S. team is hosting Sweden, Finland and Canada in the showcase, which starts Saturday and runs through Aug. 5.

A total of 116 NHL draft picks will be playing in the event, including 67 who were drafted in the first two rounds of the past two drafts.

The Red Wings have six draft picks scheduled to participate in the tournament, including Larsson and Lindstrom. The Wings’ other four draft picks attending are goaltender Keith Petruzzelli (USA), defenseman Kasper Kotkansalo (Finland), left wing Givani Smith (Canada) and defenseman Dennis Cholowski (Canada).

Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin of Sweden, who some predict will be the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, is a player to watch, along with USA forward Oliver Wahlstrom, the youngest player in the tournament (he turned 17 on June 13).

“The best young prospects from four different countries should be there,” said Red Wings assistant general manager Ryan Martin. “I think it’s an unbelievable event for real hockey fans who like to follow organizations from the bottom up.”

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Larsson (6 feet 2, 185 pounds) didn’t have the start he hoped for with Sweden-based Djurgardens IF last season and acknowledged he was worried he might not be picked for this summer camp. He had a 2.24 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage over 31 games.

The showcase serves as an audition to represent their country at the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, which will be held in Buffalo, N.Y. from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2018.

Scouts and other executives from every NHL club are expected to attend the showcase, as well as college coaches.

“I got to play not too much in the beginning and I had much pressure being drafted by Detroit,” Larsson said of his start last season with Djurgardens. “I should be one of the best players in the team. It was quite tough start for me.

“After a month or something, I played really good.”

Larsson said he had some struggles with his confidence but eventually worked through that. He said he believes he’s one of the best goaltenders in his age group and belongs here competing for a spot on Sweden’s WJC squad.

Monten agreed.

“We think he’s a competitive guy,” Monten said. “He has a good record when he’s been playing for the national team. So, even though we don’t think he had a great season last year, we were excited and wanted to bring him here and look at him.”

Larsson isto play for the Tri-City Storm in the U.S. Hockey League next season in hopes of eventually playing college hockey.

Martin said the Red Wings didn't draft Larsson thinking he would eventually pursue college hockey, but they see it as a positive because goaltenders can take longer to develop than skaters.

What: 2017 World Junior Summer Showcase.

When: Saturday through Aug. 5.

Where: USA Hockey Arena, Plymouth.

Tickets: $5 day pass (good for games at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.) on Saturday and Sunday. $10 day pass (Aug. 1-2, 4). $15 day pass on Aug. 5. For more ticket information, contact 734-453-8400 or visit USAHockeyArena.com/WJSS.

Players with local ties: G Dylan St. Cyr (Northville); D Quinn Hughes (U-M commit); D Luke Martin (U-M), F Max Jones (Rochester), F Ivan Lodnia (Novi), G Keith Petruzzelli (Muskegon USHL), D Sean Day (Rochester), F Sasha Chmelevski (Northville), F Logan Cockerill (Brighton), F Patrick Khodorenko (Michigan State), F Will Lockwood (Bloomfield Hills/U-M), Josh Norris (Oxford/U-M commit), Jason Robertson (Northville).

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Contact George Sipple: gsipple@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgesipple.

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