Frondell aiming ‘to be even better’ for Blackhawks in second season

SALT LAKE CITY -- It’s rare to find Anton Frondell without a smile on his face.

The Chicago Blackhawks center made his NHL debut late last season and was impressive. It was a learning experience, but Frondell loved every minute of it and is ready for more.

“Those 12 games I played back in spring was the best and (most fun) time of my life and over the summer it just made me more excited to come back,” he said. “I just want to be even better.”

The quest to do that continues when the Blackhawks visit the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET; Disney+, HULU, ESPN+).

Selected by the Blackhawks with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Frondell had nine points (three goals, six assists) in the dozen games for them from March 24 to April 15 after he wrapped up his season with Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League, where he had 28 points (20 goals, eight assists) in 43 games.

“He has a lot of skill,” forward Tyler Bertuzzi said of Frondell (6-foot-1, 198 pounds). “He’s big, he can skate.”

Bertuzzi was at left wing on a line with Frondell for nine games last season. The two have been together again since the start of training camp.

“What I love the most about him is he’s not scared to get in on the forecheck or chip the puck in and go work for it and get to the dirty areas,” Bertuzzi said. “I think he’s just the complete package, so that’s what I like about him.”

The 19-year-old has already had Nick Lardis and Andrew Mangiapane on his right wing. Against the Mammoth, Patrick Kane will be there. Kane joined Frondell and Bertuzzi in the Blackhawks’ season-opening 5-2 loss at the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday after Mangiapane sustained a lower-body injury in the second period and did not return.

“Just looking forward to it,” Frondell said Wednesday after finishing minus-2 with one shot on goal and going 3-for-6 on face-offs in 17:40 of ice time Tuesday. “We had a couple of shifts yesterday because we lost ‘Mango,’ so Kane jumped in with me and ‘Bert,’ and it felt good and we created a couple of chances right away. So, just try to keep doing that tomorrow.”

Kane always seems to enhance his linemates’ games, so he should be good for Frondell. 

“It’s not an easy position to play in the NHL,” said Kane, who started the game Tuesday playing with Roman Kantserov. “You look at Roman coming in last night playing center, and you’re going up against (Vegas forward William) Karlsson and (Jack) Eichel and some veteran guys like (Nic) Dowd. It’s not an easy thing, especially when you have to take face-offs against those guys, too. I think the biggest thing is try to make it easy on them, right? Easy plays, smart plays.

“Obviously confidence is a big thing but sometimes you don’t want to try and do too much, especially when you’re playing center, playing against good players and especially in this league, one play one way or the other can cost you. It’s imperative to play a smart game at center, especially as a young guy.”

Whomever he plays with, however, it’s important for Frondell to be as strong without the puck as he is with it. He’s patterned his game after that of Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who won the Stanley Cup with Florida in 2024 and 2025 and has won the Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s best defensive forward, three times (2021, 2024, 2025).

“I’ve said it before, I really enjoy helping out in the D-zone or helping out defensively. So, just compete and work hard,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what part of the ice I’m playing at. If we’re in the O-zone, just trying to get the forecheck down and then all of a sudden, (if) the puck is going back the other way, you have to backcheck and work down that way. It’s just what I have to do and what you have to do to make the team win.”

Coach Jeff Blashill said Frondell’s game wasn’t quite there early in training camp, but that as camp came to a close, he looked more like he did at the end of last season. 

Frondell likes how he’s progressing, too.

“I feel like it’s been going in the right direction,” he said. “I feel like I believe more in myself now from those games. Protect the puck, hold on to it more, even though some shifts are better, some are worse. Yesterday too, but I’m getting there, getting better.”