Chicago Blackhawks Have Six Prospects Playing in the NCAA D1 Ice Hockey Tournament

The Chicago Blackhawks will have six of their prospects vying for a chance to make the Frozen Four.

The 16-team bracket was announced last night and Michigan, Denver, Minnesota, UMass, Boston University, and Minnesota all feature players who are a part of the Blackhawks prospect pool.

Frank Nazar III

He is Chicago Sun-Times Blackhawks beat reporter, Ben Pope's top prospect that the Blackhawks have. The Athletic's Scott Wheeler ranks him second (subscription is required to access the link).

Nazar shined in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. The sophomore center has 16 goals and 23 assists. The hope is he will join the Blackhawks after the Wolverines' run is over.

Michigan plays North Dakota in the Maryland Heights Regional on Friday.

Oliver Moore

Moore is Pope's second-best prospect and Wheeler's first. He was the team's other first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. The hope is with his speed, Connor Bedard and he can become a lethal scoring duo.

Moore's game still needs some development and that is why he is a freshman at Minnesota. He tallied just nine goals but dished out 24 assists this season. Minnesota will play Omaha in the Sioux Falls Regional on Thursday.

Sam Rinzel

The big defenseman is Moore's teammate on the Golden Gophers. He was drafted in the 2022 first-round, just like Nazar, by the Blackhawks.

He is Pope's No. 12 prospect. Wheeler is much higher on Rinzel as he ranks him as the Hawks' third-best prospect. The freshman has logged 25 assists. You should expect his developmental arc to be like Alex Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser in that he will be at Minnesota for two more seasons before signing.

Ryan Greene

The sophomore center is Pope's No. 11 prospect and Wheeler has him at No. 8. Greene is a playmaker on the ice for Boston University. He has 11 goals and 24 assists.

Greene is on the same team as Macklin Celebrini, the consensus top prospect in this year's draft. It would be great if the Hawks won the NHL Draft Lottery again and were able to add Celebrini's goal-scoring ability.

For now, they have Greene in their system, and he is a talented prospect in his own right. The Terriers play RIT on Thursday in the Sioux Falls Regional.

Aidan Thompson

He is Pope's 20th-ranked prospect. The sophomore forward did not make Wheeler's top 15 list. The Hawks' 2022 third-round pick has 11 goals and 19 assists for Denver.

Thompson is one of three college prospects the Chicago Blackhawks have that could make the jump to the NHL after Denver's season is over.

Denver plays UMass on Thursday in the Springfield Regional.

Liam Gorman

The Hawks acquired his draft rights in a trade with the Penguins. The UMass forward has three assists on the season. Gorman is considered an organizational depth piece prospect.

If he signs with the Blackhawks, expect him to contribute more to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.