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On Thursday, April 11, the Chicago Blackhawks still couldn’t call Frank Nazar one of them as the youngster was still playing NCAA hockey trying to win the Frozen Four.
One day later, Nazar signed an entry-level contract with the Blackhawks to turn professional in the NHL.
And on Sunday, April, 14, he debuted and already helped Connor Bedard‘s teams by scoring his first goal in the National Hockey League.
Talk about an extraordinary week.
“It was a nice play at the blue line,” Nazar told reporters after the game explaining the play leading to his first-ever NHL goal. “I was able to go in and I was just kind of shooting for whatever was open.”
Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson noted Nazar’s skill set after the game and he wasn’t surprised by the youngster’s readiness right off the bat.
“Frank was really good, I really liked his game tonight,” Richardson told reporters in his postgame press conference on April 14. “Very aware, he was making plays out there and I thought he was really good, like very aware, and he was very responsible too.
“Definitely had a really good first game.”
Frank Nazar Was the 2022 No. 13 Pick of the Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks drafted Nazar with the No. 13 pick of the 2022 NHL draft. He signed a 3-year, entry-level contract (figures via PuckPedia) with the franchise on Saturday and made his debut on Sunday, just hours after inking the contract.
Nazar, however, signed his deal in time to play for the Blackhawks in the team’s home finale against the Carolina Hurricanes, one that ended in a 4-2 loss. That means his three-year deal is closer to a two-year pact as appearing on Sunday’s game will burn the first season of it.
“It was awesome,” Nazar said about his debut. “It is something you dream of as a little kid. To do it in front of a home crowd, tons of my family in the stands… it’s really awesome.”
Nazar also discussed his decision to turn pro after Michigan’s season came to an end earlier in the week of his NHL debut
“It was a really hard decision,” Nazar said after the game. “Me and my family had to put things together, pros and cons, and just look at what we needed to look at.
“It just all came down to what was best, and I know I made the right choice. From being at the Frozen Four to flying in last night and then figuring out I was playing today was really crazy.
“I’m a little exhausted but it was a blast.”
Nazar Is Chicago’s Best Prospect Along With Connor Bedard
Nazar is coming off playing in this season’s Frozen Four with Michigan. The Wolverines lost to Boston College before the National Championship.
During his sophomore season at UM this year, Nazar scored 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points in 41 games. Nazar was a member of Team USA during their run toward the 2024 World Junior Championships gold medal.
Back in December 2023 and January 2024, while playing for Team USA in Sweden, he scored 8 points (all assists) in 7 games.
Nazar was considered a steal when he dropped past the No. 10 pick of the 2022 draft and was snatched by the Blackhawks. He joins a core of youngsters in Chicago that also includes superstar forward Bedard (No. 1 pick in 2023) and defenseman Kevin Korchinski (No. 7 pick in 2022).
After Sunday’s loss, the Blackhawks “clinched” the second-best odds to land the No. 1 pick (per Tankathon) in the upcoming NHL draft lottery, only boasting lower odds than the San Jose Sharks in possession of the largest probability of landing such a coveted prize and, by extension, consensus best-prospect Macklin Celebrini.
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