Last Thursday, Team USA Hockey began the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase, an event serving as the final evaluation for players to make the team before they compete in December and January. The top 45 young players in the United States received invitations to the event, and the list included four Blackhawks: Gavin Hayes, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, and Frank Nazar.
The group is split into two American teams, which face off against groups from Sweden and Finland. The Americans didn’t fare too well in their first games, dropping both tilts. However, with the team back in action Monday, things looked much better as they won both games. Even with such stellar play throughout the night, one young skater stood out from all the rest: Frank Nazar.
Nazar put on a show en route to a 10-1 win over Sweden, notching four goals and five total points. He flashed his complete skill set throughout the game, and clearly looked like the best player on the ice.
Nazar spent two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program before being drafted by the Blackhawks 13th overall in last year’s draft. He committed to the University of Michigan when he was selected, and was set to be among the top lines in the 2022-23 season before undergoing surgery for an offseason lower body injury. He finally worked back to make his collegiate debut in February, but didn’t quite look like himself, tallying seven points in 13 games.
With the USA’s IIHF World Championship team likely to look significantly different this winter, it’s safe to say Nazar will play a large role. He was a dominant junior player, and will be one of the most talented skaters on the ice during the tournament.
There were some significant concerns about the health of Nazar when he came back from the lengthy injury, but the 19-year-old finally got the chance to answer those questions, and he delivered. He somehow looked even more dominant than he did with the junior team, and sure passed the eye test as “the real deal.” The Summer Showcase runs through this Friday, so he’s got a chance to continue to put on a show in front of Team USA evaluators.
NHL Bound?
With Nazar making big waves and expecting to play a big role on Team USA in December, when will we see him in a Blackhawks sweater? Chicago took him with a high first-round pick for a reason – he’s proven for multiple years that he could dominate some of the top young talent in the world. As he heads into his sophomore year with the Wolverines, he’ll be the main attraction of his team’s offense, especially with superstar Adam Fantilli headed to the Blue Jackets. The Blackhawks will keep a close eye on him this fall in hopes that he’ll continue to be explosive at the collegiate level. If everything goes according to plan, there’s no reason the young star shouldn’t be in Chicago 14 months from now. He’s an integral part of the Blackhawks rebuild, and will be a prized roster piece for years to come.
