Chicago Blackhawks Prospect Frank Nazar III, Michigan Move On To Big Ten Title Game

It was a battle of Blackhawks' prospects over the weekend, which saw Frank Nazar III of Michigan take on Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel of Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. In a game that saw the fourth-seeded Wolverines take an early lead, they never gave it up as they eliminated the third-seeded Gophers with a 2-1 win.

Although Nazar didn't fill up the stat sheet with a goal or assist in the win, the sophomore forward was a key contributor in helping the Wolverines move on. Nazar won 9-of-14 faceoffs and registered two blocks on Saturday night.

On the other end of the ice, things were a little more quiet for Moore and Rinzel. Moore went 3-for-13 in the face-off circle, took two shots, and was held without a point. Rinzel added one block, took one shot, and was held without a point too.

Rinzel, however, still had an exciting week as the defenseman was named a finalist for the B1G Freshman of the Year Award. The other finalists were Artyom Levshunov from Michigan State and Aiden Fink from Penn State.

For Moore, Rinzel and the Gophers, their time in the Big Ten Tournament has come to an end and now they will wait to see what happens next in the postseason.

Nazar and the Wolverines are headed to the Big Ten Tournament title game, where they will face the No. 1-seeded Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, March 23. The Wolverines are going for their third consecutive Big Ten Tournament title.