From Michigan to the NHL: Frank Nazar’s Journey to the League
- Mayline Ruiz
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
With the NHL regular season now wrapped up, it’s the perfect time to look back at the players who made a significant impact on the league. From rookies to veterans to debuts and retirements, there were many special players across the league. One name that stands out is Frank Nazar of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Nazar was born on Jan. 14, 2004, in Detroit, Michigan. He committed to the University of Michigan in 2019 and attended the university for two years from 2022 to 2024. The Blackhawks drafted Nazar during the 2022 NHL Draft in the first round as the 13th overall pick.
At the international level, Nazar played with the Men's US Hockey team, where he won a gold medal during the 2024 World Junior Championship and won silver in both the 2020 Youth Olympic Games and the 2022 U18 World Championship.
During his time in Ann Arbor, Nazar made his debut against Michigan State during the 2022-23 season, was named B1G first star of the week, and scored twice in the B1G Championship at MSU on March 23, 2024.
While he spent most of his first year injured, Nazar played in 13 games, where he averaged seven points with two goals and five assists. Heading into his second year at the University of Michigan, Nazar played in 41 games, where he scored 17 goals and 24 assists, which led to 41 points.
Following Michigan's 4-0 elimination against Boston College in the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, Nazar signed his entry-level contract, and he was headed to Chicago.
Nazar made his debut on April 14, 2024, against the Carolina Hurricanes, and in his first game, he scored his first NHL goal. While he only played in three games the remainder of the season, people were excited to see how Nazar would perform with his teammates, such as Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi.
At the start of the 2024-25 season, it took Nazar six games to get his first point of the season, and it came against the Minnesota Wild. In his rookie year, he played in 53 games where he scored 12 goals and was credited with 14 assists, totaling 26 points. Nazar averaged 15 minutes of ice time and had a 44.6 FO%.
The Blackhawks ended their 2024-25 season with a 25-46-11 record, and they finished eighth in the Central Division. With his first official year in the books, he was able to find his footing, and there was something special brewing in Chicago. Chicago has a lot of young players, and it'll pay off in the future with the guys eager to make a playoff appearance.
Before the season even started, Nazar was ready to stay in Chicago when he signed a seven-year, $46.13 million contract in August, which is set to start next season.
This season, Nazar began with two points, a goal and an assist against the reigning champions, the Florida Panthers. At the beginning of the season, Nazar was averaging 18 minutes on the ice. As the winter break was nearing, Nazar suffered an injury when he was hit by a puck in the jaw, and it kept him out for a month.
Nazar made his return against the Carolina Hurricanes, where Chicago took a 4-3 win in a shootout. With the injury sidelining him for a month, Nazar played in 66 games, where he had a career-high 41 points off 26 assists and 15 goals.
He did an outstanding job at getting to the puck quickly and creating a lot of offensive chances. While he was able to find ways to score and increase offensive production, Nazar also played a phenomenal job at defense.
With his second season in the books, it will be interesting to see how he continues to adjust in the league and find ways to improve.
Edited by Mary Merensky
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