Frank Nazar III (born January 14, 2004) is an American professional ice hockey center for the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 13th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He played college hockey at the University of Michigan.
| Frank Nazar | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Nazar with Michigan in November 2023 | |||
| Born |
January 14, 2004 Mount Clemens, Michigan, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 181 lb (82 kg; 12 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Chicago Blackhawks Rockford IceHogs (AHL) | ||
| NHL draft |
13th overall, 2022 Chicago Blackhawks | ||
| Playing career | 2024–present | ||
Playing career
editNazar spent two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. During the 2021–22 season, he recorded 28 goals and 42 assists in 56 games and ranked third on the team with 70 points.[1][2] Nazar competed at the 2022 BioSteel All-American Game.[3]
Nazar committed to play college ice hockey for the Michigan Wolverines during the 2022–23 season.[4] In October 2022 it was announced that a lower body injury Nazar sustained in the offseason required surgery, and he would miss the majority of the season.[5][6] He made his debut for the Wolverines on February 10, 2023, in a game against Michigan State.[7] He finished his freshman season with two goals and five assists in 13 games. During the 2023–24 season, in his sophomore year, he recorded 17 goals and 24 assists in 41 games. His 17 goals ranked fourth among all Michigan players, while his 24 assists ranked fifth on the team.[8]
Nazar was drafted 13th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.[9][10] On April 13, 2024, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blackhawks.[11][12] He made his NHL debut on April 14, 2024, in Chicago's final home game of the regular season.[13] He scored his first career NHL goal on his first shot on goal against Pyotr Kochetkov of the Carolina Hurricanes.[14]
International play
edit_068_(1).jpg) Nazar at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  United States
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 |
2024 Sweden | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
 |
2022 Germany | |
Nazar represented the United States at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, where he recorded three goals and two assists in four games and won a silver medal.[15]
Nazar represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he recorded three goals and six assists in six games and won a silver medal.[16]
On December 16, 2023, Nazar was named to the United States men's national junior ice hockey team to compete at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[17] During the tournament he recorded eight assists in seven games and won a gold medal.[18]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2020–21 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 45 | 28 | 27 | 55 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 56 | 28 | 42 | 70 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | University of Michigan | B1G | 13 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | University of Michigan | B1G | 41 | 17 | 24 | 41 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | United States | U18 | 
|
6 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2024 | United States | WJC | 
|
7 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 13 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 6 | ||||
References
edit- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (March 18, 2022). "Nazar's natural skating ability raises profile as 2022 NHL Draft prospect". NHL.com. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (June 13, 2022). "2022 NHL Draft: Top 10 centers". NHL.com. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (December 26, 2021). "2022 BioSteel All-American Game rosters selected". NHL.com. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ St. James, Helene (June 13, 2022). "Why drafting Frank Nazar III may be the best option for Detroit Red Wings at No. 8". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Powers, Scott (October 18, 2022). "Blackhawks' first-round pick Frank Nazar to have surgery, miss significant time". The Athletic. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
- ^ Earegood, Connor (October 18, 2022). "Frank Nazar III out indefinitely with lower body injury". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
- ^ Zuniga, Alejandro (February 10, 2023). "Frank Nazar, first-round NHL Draft pick of the Blackhawks, to make his Michigan hockey debut". 247sports.com. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ Powers, Scott (April 13, 2024). "Frank Nazar leaving Michigan early, signing with Blackhawks". The Athletic. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Pope, Ben (July 7, 2022). "Blackhawks select Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel with first-round picks". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ McNeil, Kristy (July 7, 2022). "Nazar, McGroarty Selected Back-to-Back in First Round of NHL Draft". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "RELEASE: Blackhawks Agree to Terms with Nazar on Three-Year Contract". NHL.com. April 13, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Pope, Ben (April 13, 2024). "Blackhawks sign top prospect Frank Nazar, who will join team immediately". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Phil (April 14, 2024). "Frank Nazar makes his Chicago Blackhawks debut — and first NHL goal — in Sunday's home finale". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Frank Nazar scores on first attempt in NHL debut with Blackhawks". ESPN.com. April 14, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ Scheder-Bieschin, Gabrielle (January 22, 2020). "Men's Ice Hockey Team Secures Silver At Youth Olympic Games". teamusa.org. Archived from the original on March 17, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ McNeil, Kristy (April 21, 2022). "Six Incoming Wolverines to Compete at U18 World Championships". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (December 16, 2023). "Gauthier leads United States 2024 World Junior roster". NHL.com. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Carlson, Matt (January 5, 2024). "Four Blackhawks Prospects Win WJC Gold With Team USA". The Hockey News. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database