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The Chicago Blackhawks had been nicely represented at the 2024 World Junior Championship, with 4 prospects enjoying for Team USA and two prospects skating for Team Slovakia. The WJC is a superb probability to familiarize your self with a number of the Blackhawks’ future gamers and to observe them as they turn into NHL gamers. This yr, the match discovered a brand new residence in Gothenburg, Sweden, after being hosted in Canada 4 straight instances (three in Edmonton, together with the canceled one, and one on the East Coast) and returned to the standard vacation season schedule.
Team Slovakia and Blackhawks prospects Adam Gajan and Martin Misiak had been eradicated on Tuesday (Jan. 2) after falling to Team Finland within the quarterfinals. Team USA had Blackhawks prospects, Frank Nazar, Gavin Hayes, Oliver Moore, and Sam Rinzel, who captured the gold medal on Friday (Jan. 5) by defeating Sweden 6-2. Overall, all six prospects performed nicely throughout this match and gave the Blackhawks and their followers one thing to look ahead to sooner or later.
Frank Nazar
Surprisingly, Nazar didn’t rating on this match however picked up eight assists, which was third-best. Even although extra was anticipated from him in scoring, the Michigan Wolverine performed exceptionally nicely on the defensive facet and delivered some massive hits. On Team USA, he took on extra of a playmaker position on a crew with many scorers, an encouraging signal from somebody who could share the ice with Connor Bedard sooner or later.
His most newsworthy play got here throughout a pre-tournament game against Sweden when he delivered a clear, authorized hit to Jakob Noren that had the hockey neighborhood buzzing. He will return to Michigan, the place he was having an excellent sophomore marketing campaign with eight targets and ten assists in 18 video games.
Martin Misiak
Misiak picked up three assists in Team Slovakia’s 5 video games whereas averaging simply over quarter-hour of ice time per recreation. The 2023 second-round choose continued to stay as much as his repute as a stable two-way participant, looking attackers by the impartial zone and attaching himself to them within the defensive zone whereas attracting a substantial amount of consideration from his opponents along with his presence in entrance of the online.
Adam Gajan
The Blackhawks’ second-round choose of 2023 began 4 of the 5 video games Team Slovakia performed in, sitting out within the remaining preliminary recreation in opposition to Team USA as Slovakia already had their quarterfinal spot secured. Gajan went 3-1 with a 2.50 goals-against common with a .916 save share. The 6-foot-3 netminder displayed his expertise within the WJC as an lively goaltender with good play-reading instincts and reactions, which has additionally been a trademark of his play this season as a member of the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
This follows his 2023 efficiency at the WJC, which noticed him named the highest goaltender within the match after a breakout efficiency for Slovakia that put them inside a objective of knocking out Canada within the quarterfinals. Gajan’s .936 SV% was the best within the match. He was dominant from the second he took over as Slovakia’s starter regardless of being dropped at the match because the third-string goalie.
Sam Rinzel
Rinzel was very bodily on the Team USA blue line and picked up one help within the match. He nonetheless must work on his puck dealing with and playmaking, as he had a turnover within the semifinal recreation that led to Finland’s first objective. He will head again to the University of Minnesota and hopefully will turn into the two-way top-four defenseman that was projected when the Blackhawks took him within the first spherical in 2022.
Oliver Moore
Moore began the match as Team USA’s further ahead however was elevated to the primary line within the remaining recreation of pool play when teammate Jimmy Snuggerud got here down with an sickness. He made essentially the most of that chance by scoring a objective and an help of their quarterfinal victory over Latvia. He displayed his velocity and tenacity on that line till Snuggerud finally reclaimed his spot on the highest line.
With velocity being a serious a part of his recreation, his continued growth at the University of Minnesota can be important to serving to the Blackhawks sooner or later and develop into that deadly scoring duo with Bedard that the crew hoped for once they drafted him within the first spherical in 2023. He did flash his shot nicely and had fast fingers all through the match, which made him one of many extra promising prospects coming into the 2023 Draft.
Gavin Hayes
Hayes bought himself in a little bit of hassle with the teaching workers and slipped to thirteenth ahead on Team USA’s depth chart after being penalized for kneeing earlier within the match. He solely skated in 4 shifts within the gold medal recreation. He did choose up two assists within the match and did assist out on the penalty kill earlier than his demotion. The 2022 third-round choice will return to the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the place he had 19 targets and 17 assists in 27 video games.
Related: US Wins 2024 WJC Gold Medal in Throttling of Sweden
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Having six high-caliber prospects play on this match is a optimistic signal for the Blackhawks, particularly because the crew continues to battle in the course of the 2023-24 marketing campaign. Hopefully, they are going to proceed to assist the Blackhawks within the close to future, very like Bedard and Kevin Korchinski did after their success within the 2023 WJC.
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