The Chicago Blackhawks have a bright future. There is proof in the 2025-26 IIHF World Junior Championships.
The Chicago Blackhawks are 1-7 in their last eight games. They are also missing Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar for a little while longer due to injury. When they return, things will get better, but it won’t be enough to be a playoff team in 2025-26.
In fact, they are more likely to end up with a top-three pick in the draft. If that were the case, players like Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ivar Stenberg are prospects that will be considered with those top selections.
You can currently see all three of them playing roles on their teams at the IIHF World Junior Championships. Of all the draft-eligible players in the tournament, these three are the most notable.
On Monday, McKenna had a hat trick in Canada’s 9-1 victory over Denmark. His teammate Verhoeff had one assist from the back end. Ivar Stenberg, who has been impressive in this tournament, didn’t have any points, but Sweden defeated Germany 8-1. Both countries clinched their spots in the quarterfinals with their wins.
McKenna, in particular, is the one to keep the closest eye on. He is the safest bet to be the number one overall pick. He has taken some time to adjust to the NCAA game, which has made his draft status slightly less certain, but he's showing why he is a future NHL superstar in this tournament. McKenna currently leads all skaters with 7 points in 3 games.
Three Chicago Blackhawks prospects played on Monday as well. The first was Anton Frondell playing with Stenberg and Sweden. He scored two goals, both on the power play, in the win. Frondell isn’t the most flashy player of all time, but he plays well in all three zones and can absolutely blast pucks.
Vaclav Nestrasil’s and Czechia played a very close game against Finland. Nestrasil didn’t have any points in this one after having four in his first two games, but the entire Czech team did what they could to hold Finland off the scoreboard. With 20 seconds remaining in regulation, Finland tied it. However, Czechia found a way to win in overtime thanks to Adam Jiricek’s beautiful between-the-legs goal.
The third and final Blackhawks prospect in action on Monday was AJ Spellacy of Team USA. When the Americans were down 2-0, Spellacy scored a short-handed goal to cut the deficit in half. Spellacy would later add an assist as Team USA completed the comeback and won 6-5.
Like Sweden and Canada, Team USA clinched its spot in the elimination rounds. These are the only three countries to do so. There will only be two games on Tuesday (Switzerland vs Germany & Latvia vs Denmark), none of which feature a Blackhawks prospect, but there will be major group play and relegation implications.
So far, this tournament has been great for the three players representing Chicago. It has also been a great scouting opportunity for Kyle Davidson and his staff. There is a lot of talent entering the NHL soon.
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