The Chicago Blackhawks made an interesting decision with the No. 3 pick, taking centre Anton Frondell out of Sweden. The Blackhawks were already stacked with young centres Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar.
Chicago will have to decide whether to switch Frondell, Bedard, or Nazar to wing. Before the draft, Frondell told Scott Powers of The Athletic that he wanted to play center at the NHL level.
The coaching staff will have to make that decision by seeing how Frondell plays on the ice. Frondell, 18, is not expected to play in the NHL in the upcoming season, and that could make it harder for the Blackhawks to develop the young player in their system.
Anton Frondell sent the Chicago Blackhawks an ultimatum
Per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio, Frondell told the media on Friday that he does not plan to play for the Rockford Icehogs if he doesn’t make the Blackhawks roster–he’ll go back to Sweden to play hockey next season.
“If I get the chance to take a spot on the team, I will do everything I can to do that, to play,” Frondell said. “And if I’m not good enough, if I don’t make it, I’m going back to Djurgårdens.”
Anton Frondell on where he plans to play in the 2025-26 season: "If I get the chance to take a spot on the team, I will do everything I can to do that, to play. And if I'm not good enough, if I don't make it, I'm going back to Djurgårdens." #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) June 28, 2025
The ultimatum was clear from Frondell to an organization that prides itself on developing players in the AHL: Either put him on the Blackhawks roster, or he’ll develop under his coaches in the Swedish Hockey League.
Frondell is hopeful he can impress new head coach Jeff Blashill and his staff in training camp. He wants to play with Connor Bedard in the upcoming season.
“I’ve been following him since way back when his name was starting to get bigger,” Frondell said of Bedard. “Since he got drafted to Chicago, I started following Chicago on Instagram. If I have a chance to play with him, it will be really cool.”
It could be a while before Blackhawks fans see Frondell play in Illinois.
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