The Chicago Blackhawks have a handful of players playing for their countries in the 2026 IIHF World Championships.
The Chicago Blackhawks have a handful of players participating in the 2026 IIHF World Championships. One of them, Anton Frondell, injured himself during a game against Italy on May 22nd. The result was a 3-0 win for Sweden, but one of their best players left and did not return.
Frondell was not activated to play for Sweden until this game against Italy. It's a strange move by them based on the construction of their roster, but they didn't feel the need to dress him until later in the tournament.
Frondell was ruled out for Saturday's game against Norway, who defeated Sweden 3-2. Although they weren't using him to the level that they should, losing the ability to play him is harmful for Team Sweden.
It is unclear whether Frondell will be able to play in their final group-stage game against Slovakia on Tuesday, but he hasn't been officially ruled out. This injury, although it was initially concerning, is not seen as something to worry about.
There is also the elimination stages that take place once group play is over. Sweden's chances of winning would be positively impacted by Frondell's ability to play.
Arvid Soderblom's Team Sweden Performance
Arvid Soderblom is also a part of the team with Frondell. He has started three of their six games in goal. His goals against average is a sparkling 1.69. His save percentage, however, could use some improvement. He is saving shots at a .891 clip.
Soderblom has shared the net with Magnus Hellberg, who hasn't fared better. It will be interesting to see who Sweden goes with as elimination games start to arrive.
United States
Drew Commesso hasn't dressed for any Team USA games, but Wyatt Kaiser, Sam Lafferty, and Oliver Moore have been playing.
Moore doesn't have a goal yet, but he does have three assists. Following the injury he sustained towards the end of the NHL regular season, he has his speed back and is using it to his advantage when making plays in a USA sweater.
Lafferty didn't dress for a lot of Chicago's games in 2025-26, so he needs to stay fresh throughout the summer as he looks for his next hockey job. So far, he hasn't collected any points in the tournament.
On defense, Wyatt Kaiser is working on his role as a strong defensive defenseman. He doesn't have any points, and there is some good competition that he faces defensively in most games. Team USA is a lower-end defensive team this year, which isn't great for Kaiser, who is a -6 so far in the tournament.
It is not likely that Team USA is going to repeat as World Champions in 2026 after ending their 92-year drought in 2025. Still, this is a good experience for the players, including young Blackhawks like Kaiser and Moore.
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