A Blackhawks fans' guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
A Chicago Blackhawks fan's guide to the upcoming 2026 World Junior Championships, and who to look for.
December 26th holds a special spot for Austria, the UK, and Canada, as it is the Boxing Day celebration. In European countries, it's known as Saint Stephen's Day.
For hockey fans, this marks the beginning of the IIHF World Junior Championships. It'll be held in the state of hockey this year, in St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN. Defending home in the Twin Cities, Team USA looks to capitalize on its home advantage and win its third Gold Medal.
It won't be an easy task, as Bob Motzko takes over from the incumbent David Carle (also a prospect for the Blackhawks head coaching role in the summer).
The Chicago Blackhawks will have three prospects competing for their countries, and two of those are 2025 1st-round picks.
Three Chicago Blackhawks prospects compete for gold in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships
AJ Spellacy joins Team USA
AJ Spellacy
made the Team USA roster and will be a part of the tournament's two-time defending champion. The USA will be bringing back eight players who helped win the gold medal last season. 22 of 25 have been drafted by NHL teams, and one of them is a third-round pick in 2024 by the Blackhawks, AJ Spellacy.
While his fate seemed uncertain with the roster, the 19-year-old made the cut. Spellacy is halfway through his fourth season in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires. He's scored 17 points (9-8) in 27 games this season. Last year, he scored 38 points (21-17) in 67 games and 37 points (18-19) in 62 games in his draft year. He is continuing at the same pace this year. Spellacy could become a great bottom-six option for Team USA.
Will Anton Frondell channel his inner Barkov?
The Blackhawks' 3rd overall pick in 2025 will join his native-Sweden with the intention of dominating the competition. Frondell will be playing in the U20 category for the first time this season.
Last year, he scored 3 points (1-2) in 5 games as a U18 player. He'll look to improve his look on the international stage, as he's had an up-and-down year in the SHL with Djurgardens IF. With his playing time and
concerning demotion, he's scored 15 points (10-5) in 25 games.
Frondell joins a roster full of players who are inexperienced and have played 21 WJC games at most. The 3rd overall pick by the Blackhawks will lead Sweden as one of the team's assistant captains. He'll look to show what he's made of on a world stage in pre-tournament play; he's scored 3 points (2-1).
Nestrasil was selected by the Blackhawks 25th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. Though he was a late riser, the team prioritized him correctly, as he's had a spectacular year with UMass and will represent Czechia at the IIHF WJC.
This will be his first WJC, and he has played great halfway through his first year in the NCAA, scoring 20 points (10-10) in 18 games as a Minuteman player. The 6-foot-6 forward is surpassing his own expectations this season, as stated in an interview with Scott Powers of The Athletic.
«Well, it kind of is surprising, but I kind of went into the season with that mindset because I didn't want to wait. Obviously, there were a lot of thoughts of me being the tall kid, no weight. So everybody said I was going to adjust, and I just kind of didn't want to do that. Like, obviously, I still got to adjust, but I just wanted to jump into NCAA hockey and produce as soon as possible. I'm glad it's kind of been going so far, so that was kind of my mindset.»
Czechia will be a tough out this season. They're not far behind the USA, Sweden, Finland, and Canada, who reign as the top four nations in the league. As a team whose won a bronze medal twice, with Nestrasil in the lineup, could take the next step.
Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider
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