Blackhawks fans who want to see top prospects Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel in action next season with the University of Minnesota will have to do it someplace other than Chicago.
The Golden Gophers will be the only Big Ten hockey program to not participate in the outdoor “The Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series” at Wrigley Field on Jan. 3 and 4, 2025. Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State will skate in the event at the 110-year-old home of the Chicago Cubs.
USA Today Network
The Blackhawks no longer have top draftees on any those teams.
The weekend of college hockey follows the NHL Winter Classic between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 31, 2024. Tickets for the Frozen Confines go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 30, at 10 a.m. CT and are available at Cubs.com/BigTenHockey.
The tournament is arranged in a pair of doubleheaders on each day. The women’s teams from Ohio State and Wisconsin will lead off on Saturday, Jan. 4.
Moore, a speedy center, was ranked at the Blackhawks No. 1 prospect in The Hockey News 2024 Future Watch and will be sophomore at Minnesota next season. Rinzel, a defenseman and Moore’s roommate at Minnesota, also will skate his sophomore season with the Gophers in 2024-25 Rinzel was rated No. 5 in Future Watch. See Moore in the following video.
Both Moore and Rinzel came on strong in the second half of the 2023-24 NCAA campaign for Minnesota. The two Twin Cities area natives got rolling after gaining confidence in helping Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championship in Sweden in January.
Artyom Levshunov, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft starred as a freshman defenseman with Michigan State last season. Levshunov signed an entry-level contract with the Blackhawks and is expected to play for Rockford of the AHL next season.
Related: Blackhawks Sign No. 2 Overall Draft Pick Artyom Levshunov
Frank Nazar III signed a pro contract after completing his sophomore season at Michigan last April. The forward appeared in three games with the Blackhawks at the end of the 2023-24 campaign and scored his first NHL goal.
Related: Blackhawks Prospect Frank Nazar III Scores On First Shot On Goal, Just Like Jonathan Toews
Forward Landon Slaggert, who played four seasons at Notre Dame, signed with the Blackhawks in March and joined Chicago to finish the campaign.
Related: Former Notre Dame Star Landon Slaggert Scores First Pro, NHL Goal With Blackhawks
Source Agencies
