The Chicago Blackhawks have seven players participating in the IIHF World Championships. All of them were in action on Friday in Switzerland, the first day of the tournament.
Two Blackhawks are on Team Sweden, which was defeated by Canada 5-3. Anton Frondell was a healthy scratch and Arvid Soderblom was the backup goaltender, so neither impacted the game.
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There was a reason to keep an eye from a Blackhawks perspective, however, as Ivar Stenberg suited up for Sweden. He will be a top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, where the Blackhawks currently hold the fourth overall selection.
Stenberg scored a goal early in the contest, but it was waved off for a high stick. He didn’t have any points that counted, but you can tell from watching him that the hockey IQ is there for him to be an impact player once he reaches the NHL.
Teuvo Teravainen suited up for Finland, and he recorded two assists in their win over Germany. For someone who struggled to put up points at the end of the NHL regular season, this was a good showing. Both Sweden and Finland are poised for deep runs in the tournament once the elimination rounds begin.
Four Blackhawks are on Team USA’s roster. One of them, Drew Commesso, was the third goalie who didn’t dress for their opening game. The other three, Wyatt Kaiser, Oliver Moore, and Sam Lafferty all suited up as skaters.
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None of them recorded a point, and Team USA lost to host Switzerland. After the Swiss took a 2-0 lead, the Americans started to play better and push the pace, but they were unable to get it tied before a third goal was scored to make it 3-1, which held as the final.
There was a fourth game that involved no Blackhawks, which was won 4-1 by Czechia over Denmark. It was a good slate of hockey, but there is a long way to go before anyone creates any separation. There is also the possibility of more players joining as they get eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The next chance to watch a Blackhawks player will come on Saturday when Teravainen and Finland suit up against Hungary. On Sunday, Team USA will battle Great Britain, and Sweden will play Denmark.
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