The NHL is well-known by now as being a league that traverses national lines. During the NHL Draft each year, more and more prospects from around the world are given opportunities to compete at the highest level. In fact, during the 2019-20 season, just 24.8% of NHL players were born in the league’s host nation, with Canada leading the way at 42.7%, according to Hockey Answered.
The variance in nationalities of players makes for many different routes to the NHL, with players entering the league’s system at different ages and skill levels. However, one path to the Big Show still stands out from the rest: college hockey.
Over the past several years, the Blackhawks have had their fair share of prospects that have gone the college route. Most recently, Wyatt Kaiser and Drew Commesso both had successful seasons and were signed over the past few months. The pipeline from the NCAA doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and Chicago projects to have a double-digit number of prospects on those teams when they take the ice this fall. When college hockey returns to television screens around the country, Blackhawks fans can tune in to see how their favorite prospects perform against top young talent. Of the names that plan to play for their respective universities, a few stand out from the rest.
Frank Nazar
Let’s not overthink this one too much. The 19-year-old Michigan Wolverine received an invite to the USA Summer Showcase this week and made his mark, including a five-point game. He’ll certainly represent his country this winter. Before then, however, he’ll return to the Wolverines for his sophomore season after hip surgery kept him sidelined for most of the 2022-23 campaign. With star Adam Fantilli headed to the Blue Jackets, the pressure’s on the young forward, as he’s expected to be Michigan’s top-line center. He’s proven he’s fully recovered from last year’s injury, but can he carry the strong momentum from the showcase into the upcoming NCAA season?
Oliver Moore
Moore is likely the main attraction for Blackhawks fans watching the NCAA this season after he was drafted 19th overall this summer. Before he suits up for the big club, he’ll head to the University of Minnesota this fall to join a team riding high after a 29-10-1 finish last year. The group aims to bring back seven of its top nine forwards from last year’s NCAA runner-up squad, but Moore still projects to be a key member of a team looking to get over the hump. He’s known for his speed, which sets up exciting plays and makes for some great hockey to watch. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that fellow Blackhawk Sam Rinzel is committed to the Golden Gophers, too.
Ryan Greene
When Greene was selected 57th overall in the 2022 Draft, he was coming off a year of “decent” performances in the USHL, but was deemed raw and not ready for college hockey, though he had committed to Boston University that fall. When he got going for the Terriers, though, he immediately blossomed into a nearly point-per-game skater, and played in almost all situations as a freshman. Jay Pandolfo raved about the young forward, saying he was extremely “calm with the puck”. Greene will look to build on his tremendous year with an even better one during his sophomore campaign. Does he take the next step, and aim to join the Blackhawks’ youth movement?
Aside from the AHL, college hockey can often offer a final step in the development of prospects’ careers. Many Blackhawks prospects in the past have used stellar seasons in the NCAA as launch pads to embark on solid careers, and Chicago hopes these young players are no different. In what could be seen as a make-or-break year for three young prospects, they’ve got Blackhawks fans everywhere watching.
