ST. PAUL, Minn. – Ten seconds.
That’s how much time it took for Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell to make his presence known in a 6-3 quarterfinal win against Latvia at the World Junior Championship on Friday.
The ice was still wet when Frondell chipped a puck over the shoulder of the goalie, Nils Maurins, off the opening faceoff in the first period. Frondell added another goal, this time off a wrist shot from the slot at 1:58 in the third period, as Sweden punched its ticket into the semifinal on Sunday.
“He’s a goal-scorer,” said Sweden coach Magnus Havelid. “He’s a goal-scorer, but he’s a leader, on the ice and off the ice. He’s a very positive player and a positive individual. I think this season he’s developed his defensive game as well. But he’s a goal-scorer. He has an eye for the net.”
With a team-leading five goals and seven points in five games, Frondell certainly has had little difficulty finding the back of the net in the tournament. It helps that he’s also taken 26 shots — 15 more than any other player on Sweden’s roster.
“I’ve said it before, it’s always nice to score, but it’s not like the most important,” said Frondell. “The most important is to win, and we did that today, and we’re in the semifinal. We have a good feeling.”
World Juniors 2026: One NHL Prospect To Watch For Each Team In The West The Sharks’ Michael Misa, Blackhawks’ Anton Frondell and Oilers’ Asher Barnett will be just some of the NHL’s Western Conference prospects to watch at the world juniors.
For the Blackhawks, which selected Frondell third overall in the 2026 NHL draft, the future certainly looks bright. After all, the team already has Connor Bedard. And, as early as next year, it could also have Frondell, a scenario that would give Chicago a one-two punch down the middle that could turn the Blackhawks into contenders sooner than later.
But Frondell is not thinking that way — at least not yet.
When asked if he was paying attention to how the Blackhawks have been playing this season, the 18-year-old Frondell said, “not too much.”
“I like to follow the results, the highlights, but at the same time, I’m playing for Djurgarden in Sweden in the SHL,” said Frondell, who has 10 goals and 15 points in 25 games this season. “All my focus should be there and going as far as we can in the SHL. There’s not too much thinking in the future.”
For now, Frondell is trying to win a gold medal for Sweden, something that the country has not accomplished since 2012.
“I feel like we’ve been coming together really well,” he said. “That’s really important if you want to go all the way.”
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