The Chicago Blackhawks have three players participating in the NCAA Tournament, and Vaclav Nestrasil is not one of them.
Vaclav Nestrasil and UMass were eliminated in the Hockey East semi-final by Merrimack, who went on to win the conference for the first time in program history.
The loss resulted in Nestrasil and UMass missing the NCAA Tournament. Their season is now over. The 25th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft had 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points in 34 games as a freshman at UMass.
He also had two goals and six assists in seven games for Team Czechia en route to a Silver Medal at the 2025-26 World Junior Championships. It was a great first year post-draft for the young forward, and another year of development will serve him well ahead of turning pro.
Meanwhile, there are three prospects in the Chicago Blackhawks system who did make it into the tournament with their teams. One of them is Adam Gajan with the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Gajan, a goaltending prospect, is going to have a challenge in the Albany region. They will open up against Penn State on Friday, meaning he will have to face Gavin McKenna and his highly skilled team.
If they were to get through that game, Michigan would likely be waiting for them on the other side, which may be an even tougher matchup. Bentley is the 4th team in the region.
After a trip to the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina with Team Slovakia, a run in the tournament would cap off a great year for Gajan. This player has the tools to be an NHL goalie, and all of these events are incredible developmental opportunities.
The other two Blackhawks in the tournament are John Mustard and Julius Sumpf of Providence College. They are in a hard region themselves, and they will open against Quinnipiac on Thursday. North Dakota and Merrimack are the other two teams facing off for a chance to advance to the Frozen Four.
Mustard was a third-round pick in 2024, while Sumpf was a fourth-round pick in 2025. Both of them are big forwards who generate speed. Mustard has more of a goal-scoring touch, while Sumpf is proving he can be a solid playmaker.
The former scored more goals than assists, but his total of 16 goals and 12 assists for 28 points led the team. He had one more point than Anaheim Ducks first-round pick (2025), Roger McQueen.
If Providence College is going to make a deep run in the tournament, these two Blackhawks will need to contribute offense in different ways. This isn't a program carried by one or two players; it takes the full unit.
Outside of the prospects already drafted by Chicago, there are plenty of other players to watch for draft-related reasons. McKenna and others are set to put on a show. These games can be found on the networks of ESPN, including streaming on ESPN+.
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