Frank Nazar - Dec. 23 Chicago Blackhawks Media Availability postgame The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of good young players in the organization. It all starts and ends with Connor Bedard, the number-one pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He is the guy that the franchise will look to build a winner around. You may remember when Connor Bedard dominated the World Junior Championship [https://thehockeynews.com/news/world-juniors-2025-one-prospect-to-watch-from-every-western-conference-nhl-team] en route to a Gold Medal with Team Canada. He had a lot of hype before that tournament but his performance there propelled him into “generational prospect” status. Like Bedard, a couple of undrafted prospects could be number-one picks in the future. That includes James Hagens (Boston College) who is the front-runner for the 2025 NHL Draft and Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers) who is the likely number one pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Right now, the Hawks have the worst record in the NHL so landing those guys in the coming years feels very possible. Adding them to their already strong pipeline would boost their future even more. This is another chance to scout them in a “best on best” format for prospects. Chicago also has a couple of drafted prospects participating in this tournament. Most of the tournament is made up of already drafted prospects from around the world. Most NHL teams have anywhere from 2-5 prospects on a roster. The most notable Blackhawks prospect going to this event is Oliver Moore who currently plays for the University of Minnesota. He is a speedy forward who drives play using his elite skating and tenacious play style. Team USA has a lot of superstar-caliber players like Hagens and his BC teammates Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers) and Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals). If Moore leads the way as far as forward depth, this team could be incredible. Meanwhile, Jiri Felcman will also be representing the Blackhawks as a member of Team Czechia. Felcman was selected by the Hawks in the third round (93rd overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. Felcman is 19 years old and plays in the Swiss National League. So far this season with the SCL Tigers, he has no goals and seven assists in 20 games played. Czechia is a team that aims to surprise every year. They have had a ton of success recently in this tournament and they are hoping to have some more of that luck this time around. How does this hockey country compete with the likes of Canada and the United States? Well, they play a strong team-orientated game in all three zones. We'll see if Blackhawks prospect Jiri Felcman can be a key contributor. For Hawks fans watching this tournament, there is a lot to keep an eye on. The two potential number-one picks along with the handful of other guys who haven't been drafted yet, Oliver Moore, and Jiri Felcman are all reasons to tune in. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/] team site to stay updated on the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-newshttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-dayhttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/game-day] coverage, player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/playershttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/players], and more.
