The Chicago Blackhawks have a few key young pieces on their roster that are participating in the IIHF World Championships that officially begin on May 9. Getting some of these guys more ice time after a long season might seem like a bad idea to some, but others view it as an opportunity for the future of the franchise to get stronger while playing alongside some other great young talent across the NHL.
A notable Blackhawk that chose to forgo this tournament is franchise cornerstone, Connor Bedard. The 2023 number one overall draft choice was given the option to skate for Team Canada, but he decided that it was best for himself to focus on his detailed training regiment back home this summer to prepare himself for an important third year in the league coming up this fall.
Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic were selecting from Chicago to represent Team USA in this tournament. For Vlasic, getting the nod to join this squad is extremely important for himself and the Blackhawks moving forward. The 23-year-old took a step in the right direction this past season and solidified himself as a top-pair defenseman in the organization. With him now being surrounded by some other great young blue liners and going against talented forwards from other countries, he can grow his game that much more entering a crucial summer.
Nazar was selected to the American squad just after Vlasic was, and fans got equally excited about him being apart of this team for the two week stretch. After Sunday’s pre-tournament contest against Germany, the 2022 first-round pick is already on the radar of hockey fans everywhere based on his performance.
Chicago Blackhawks’ Frank Nazar is making a name for himself
In Team USA’s pre-tournament showdown with Germany on Sunday, Frank Nazar netted two goals in their 5-2 win over Germany. Nazar wrapped up this past season playing at a high level after getting off to a slow start when he was called up in December. The former Michigan Wolverine had 12 goals and 14 assists in 53 games played in this past year.
Nazar signed his entry level deal with the Blackhawks with just a few games remaining in the 2023-24 campaign and even scored his first career goal on his first career shot at home on April 14, 2024 against the Carolina Hurricanes. Many figures across the organization have been happy with how Nazar’s game has progressed over the last year, and this tournament can help him elevate his play before heading home for the summer to continue his training.
This tournament is a perfect lead into Frank Nazar’s summer
Nazar came into his own at the end of this past season and scored the game-winning goal in overtime to end the campaign in the final game on the road against the Ottawa Senators. The young forward was praised often this past year for his two-way play and he earned himself a spot on the top powerplay unit in the final few weeks of the season.
Along with his game-winner to conclude the year, Nazar had goals in the final three games of the season. This also included back-to-back two point games against the Jets at home and the Canadians on the road. The 21-year-old averaged over a point-per-game in the month of April, giving him positive momentum to build off entering this tournament that starts on Friday and the offseason in general.
Chicago Blackhawks young forward already making an impact in his Rockford return
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