FEATURE: Blackhawks Prospects Secure Gold as Moment They’ll ‘Never Forget’

For the second tournament in a row, four Chicago Blackhawks prospects earned a gold medal victory at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. On the championship Team USA roster, Gavin Hayes, Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel made their impact on the roster in their tournament debuts.

While some players met, played together or competed against each other before the tournament, Moore described his amazement with how quickly they all bonded in the short amount of time they spent together.

“What we were able to do in such a short period of time with those guys was super special and it’s something I’ll never forget, for the rest of my life,” Moore said. “Just the bond that we created as a group and obviously what we're able to accomplish.”

The Americans defeated Team Sweden in a 6-2 victory back on Jan. 5 to claim their sixth gold medal match. For Nazar and several other Team USA skaters, this win felt more personal than others.

The Michigan forward reflected on Team USA’s 6-4 loss to Sweden at the IIHF U18 World Championship back in May 2022 and the frustration that built after the defeat. Since then, it brought some of the players together and created a common goal to beat Sweden in their home country.

“It was really cool to just get over there and kind of bond right off the bat and just get all those guys together and kind of just build a family,” Nazar said. “Being able to get sweet revenge on [Team Sweden] after losing to them at U-18 worlds was a really good feeling.”

At the beginning of the tournament, Moore started as the team’s 13th forward and found some time on the penalty kill unit. With some players out due to illness, the Minnesota native found his opportunity to show the coaching staff his speedy talents.

After that matchup, Moore joined the team’s first line and recorded three points (1G, 2A) after his promotion. As he rejoined the University of Minnesota’s roster, he hoped to carry the confidence he gained from the tournament to implement into his game.

“I think just the swagger and the confidence that they have, and we had as a group, I think, if I can take that into my time in Minnesota, and then the future teams, that’s something that I can kind of look to kind of take away and add into my game,” Moore said.

Nazar, who started as a top-six forward, found his offensive spark early in the tournament and finished with eight assists and added helpers on some of Team USA’s top goals.
With the overall confidence of the group, this allowed Nazar to learn more about his game and the impact he could create. From there, he only continued to grow.

“During the first game, it took a little bit for me to realize [what] I can actually do with the puck and how much I can affect the game,” Nazar said. “It definitely started to carry out throughout the tournament.”

Over the last few weeks of training and competition, the players looked to the bond that helped them become a powerhouse throughout the tournament. Both Moore and Nazar also appreciated the ability to win with other Blackhawks’ prospects and share a new moment together.

“Having that connection with the Blackhawks organization and being able to talk about what’s going on with the Blackhawks and the team, and it's some cool to talk about, but also just as buddies, like, they're all great, guys,” Moore said. “It was fun being out there with them.”

Photo Credit: Minnesota Athletics