The first day following Christmas also has its own magical feeling every year, as it marks the start of the IIHF World Junior Championship. The 2026 tournament edition begins later today in Minnesota, with games split between the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
For fans of the Chicago Blackhawks, the World Juniors has become appointment television in recent years. With the NHL club going through an elongated rebuild, the tournament has provided fans a glimpse of what to be hopeful for in the future, as several top prospects have helped their respective countries make a run for the gold medal.
In fact, the Blackhawks have had at least one prospect come away with some gold in every World Junior Championship since 2021. Landon Slaggert, a 2020 third-round pick, won the tournament with the United States in 2021. 2024 fourth-round pick Ethan Del Mastro won with Canada in 2022. Then, Del Mastro was joined by 2021 and 2022 first-round picks Kevin Korchinski and Nolan Allan, and 2021 second-round pick Colton Dach, for Canada’s championship squad in 2023. It’s also worth mentioning that Connor Bedard, before he was drafted by the Blackhawks, played for Canada in 2022 and 2023.
The United States has claimed the gold medal each of the last two years. In 2024, former first-round picks Frank Nazar (2022, No. 13), Oliver Moore (2023, No. 19), and Sam Rinzel (2022, No. 27) were on Team USA’s roster, as was second-round selection Gavin Hayes. Then, in their successful title defense in 2025, Moore won his second gold medal in as many years.
For the 2026 World Juniors, the Blackhawks have three prospects on the quest for gold in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Here’s a breakdown of which countries they are representing and when they will be in action throughout the tournament.
The preliminary round begins today and runs through New Year’s Eve. The quarterfinals will be held on Friday, Jan. 2, and the gold medal game takes place on Monday, Jan. 5. FYI, all games will be broadcast live on NHL Network for American viewers.
Anton Frondell – Team Sweden
Anton Frondell was selected third overall by the Blackhawks in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old forward is expected to play a sizeable role for Sweden in this year’s tournament, likely serving as the team’s top-line center while getting time on both special teams units. He’s also an alternate captain for the Swedes.
Frondell has spent his post-draft season playing in the Swedish Hockey League with Djurgarden, where his usage has been curious at times. He’s been one of the most productive players on the team, with 15 points (10G, 5A) in 25 games, despite playing mostly on the third line. He’s expected to sign his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks and come over to North America when his season ends with Djurgarden.
It’s Frondell’s first appearance at the U20 World Juniors, but he did represent his country at the U18s last year. In five games, Frondell recorded one goal and two assists for three points. It was a somewhat underwhelming performance, considering he was a top player in his draft class and was facing off against lesser competition.
But just one year later, Frondell now has a chance to be one of the most impactful players at the World Juniors. He’s a remarkable two-way player, with Florida Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov often being the player comparison for Frondell throughout his draft year. He also possesses arguably the best shot of anyone in the tournament, with incredible power and precision on his wrister.
Sweden fell short of a medal in 2025, losing to Finland in the Semifinals before dropping the bronze-medal game to Czechia. There’s enough talent on this year’s roster, though, for the Swedes to put together a stronger run in the medal rounds, and Frondell will be one of their anchors.
Here’s the schedule for Sweden at this year’s tournament — Dec. 26 vs. Slovakia (12:00 p.m. CT), Dec. 28 vs. Switzerland (1:00 p.m. CT), Dec. 29 vs. Germany (12:00 p.m. CT), Dec. 31 vs. USA (5:00 p.m. CT).
Vaclav Nestrasil – Team Czechia
Vaclav Nestrasil was the 25th overall selection, and the second of three first-round picks, for the Blackhawks in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-5 forward played his final year of junior hockey in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he tallied 42 points (19G, 23A) in 61 games. Nestrasil also added 13 points (7G, 6A) in 14 postseason games to help Muskegon win the league championship.
After being drafted by the Blackhawks, Nestrasil made the leap to college hockey and signed with UMass-Amherst. Going into his freshman season, expectations weren’t too high for Nestrasil, as he was still a somewhat raw prospect coming out of the USHL. But perhaps there should have been more buzz behind him joining the NCAA circuit, because only two freshmen have more points at this point in the season. Through his first 20 games, Nestrasil has tallied 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points with the Minutemen.
Nestrasil will play in his first World Juniors with Czechia this year, and he figures to have a big role for the team. His size and skill combination will likely land him on the top line, and he’s expected to be part of the first power-play unit. Much like his freshman season has been so far with UMass, the tournament could be a coming-out party for Nestrasil. He’s an under-the-radar prospect for most fans of the other 31 NHL clubs, but that might change over the next week and a half.
Czechia has won the bronze medal in back-to-back years and has had a spot at the podium in three consecutive tournaments. Their always a pesky bunch to play at the World Juniors, and their 2026 roster is littered with talent.
Here’s the schedule for Czechia at this year’s tournament — Dec. 26 vs. Canada (7:30 p.m. CT), Dec. 27 vs. Denmark (7:30 p.m. CT), Dec. 29 vs. Finland (2:30 p.m. CT), Dec. 31 vs. Latvia (2:30 p.m. CT).
AJ Spellacy – Team USA
Spellacy is the only member of the Blackhawks’ 2024 Draft Class at this year’s World Juniors. He was picked in the third round as the 72nd overall selection.
Currently playing for the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League, Spellacy has been slotted into a middle-six role for one of the top teams in the league. In 27 games, he’s tallied nine goals and eight assists for 17 points. However, offense isn’t Spellacy’s bread and butter, as he’s more so known for his speed, physicality, and athleticism. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds at only 19 years old, he loves to fly around the ice and use his size to make an impact on the backcheck and forecheck.
Spellacy is expected to have a bottom-six spot in the Americans’ forward group in the tournament, and he will likely be utilized on the team’s penalty kill. He also has the versatility to play both the center and wing positions, and it will be interesting to see how Team USA’s coaching staff utilizes him.
The United States is the two-time defending champion and will look to win a third straight gold medal on home soil. However, there’s plenty of turnover from last year’s roster, with only eight players returning from the 2025 squad. Spellacy is one of the 17 newcomers that will need to step up to keep the gold-medal run going.
Here’s the United States’ schedule at this year’s tournament — Dec. 26 vs. Germany (5:00 p.m. CT), Dec. 27 vs. Switzerland (5:00 p.m. CT), Dec. 29 vs. Slovakia (5:00 p.m. CT), Dec. 31 vs. Sweden (5:00 p.m. CT).
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