FEATURE: Why Nazar Can’t Imagine Playing Anywhere but Chicago

Forward Frank Nazar told The Athletic back in June that he wants to be a Blackhawk for the rest of his life. Nazar took a big step toward making that a reality after signing a seven-year contract extension ($6.59 million salary cap hit) on Thursday.

“There are a lot of great reasons to want to stay in Chicago and be a Blackhawk the rest of my life and the rest of my career,” Nazar, whose contract extension begins in the 2026-27 season, said. “Being part of such a great organization that’s an original six team…And the fans come each and every night, no matter win or loss or how we’re doing – they bring the energy. There’s nothing like that support and that love from everybody in the community.”

According to Nazar, what makes the sports scene in Chicago so special is the fans. Whether a team is winning or losing, Chicago fans show up to support their teams, something the 13th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft has already noticed in his short time as a Blackhawk.

“No matter what, there are fans in the building each night and they're cheering loud and they're screaming,” Nazar said. “Once the national anthem comes on – it’s something that gives you goosebumps when you're sitting there and getting ready for a game, and you don’t see that much around the league.”

The fans make the United Center a special place for Blackhawks and Bulls players alike. Nazar enjoys that aspect of playing at the home of Chicago’s NHL and NBA teams, each of which has won three championships since the United Center opened in 1994, along with the historical significance of the building.

“All the history that has happened at the United Center, all of the players that have come through with hockey and basketball, it's pretty insane to think about everything that has gone on in that building,” Nazar said. “Being able to walk through those halls before each game and just thinking about each and every night and each and every thing that’s happened there and just being able to be so lucky to play there.”

Besides being on the ice and the fan support, Nazar loves what Chicago has to offer, from the food to the diversity and sense of community.

“I’m a big food guy. I love just random shops that have the best food,” Nazar said. “You could go to a little hole in the wall, and they have the best food you've had. [I like] the diversity of everything in the city and how everything is so close…It’s just a city you enjoy being in and just a lot of fun in every season and every part of the year.”

Nazar is already active in the Chicago community, having worked with children this summer at the Blackhawks’ 2025 Summer Hockey Camps at Fifth Third Arena. Now that he is with the Blackhawks for the foreseeable future, Nazar is excited to remain engaged with the local community.

“I’ve already started doing things that I enjoy, been to a few camps here.” Nazar said. “Being able to skate with some future Blackhawks, some younger kids, and kind of show them the ways – just being able to talk to them and hang out with them has been a lot of fun. It’s something I love to do, and I’m definitely going to be doing a lot more.”

With the Blackhawks’ three championships in the 2010s, Nazar and the new crop of young players have their sights set on adding to the historic franchise’s success.

“The bar is set pretty high and every single one of us wants to push straight through that bar and actually raise the roof,” Nazar, who collected 26 points (12G, 14A) in 53 games as a rookie with the Blackhawks during the 2024-25 season, said. “I know that’s something that I'm sure most of us think about day in and day out when we’re in the gym or we’re on the ice. We want to be that next wave of guys who push that bar even higher…And really just try to put ourselves in the history books and prove what we can do.”

Nazar and the Blackhawks will celebrate the organization’s Centennial campaign in 2025-26, with the team set to begin on the road at Florida on Oct. 7 before the team’s home opener on Oct. 11 against Montreal. Single-game tickets for all Blackhawks 2025-26 home games go on sale on Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. at Blackhawks.com/Tickets.