Team USA didn’t come away with a gold medal from the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship like its counterparts on the senior team did at the Olympics, but the American talent showed out before a 4-3 quarterfinal loss to Finland.
Chicago Blackhawks prospect AJ Spellacy was among the group representing his country in late December and early January in Minnesota, and the right wing called the experience “amazing.”
“Every time you get the opportunity to represent the country,” Spellacy said, “it’s an awesome opportunity to wear red, white and blue.”
Spellacy had six points (one goal, five assists) in five games for Team USA and was the fastest skater at the World Juniors, recording a speed of 23.74 mph. For comparison, that would be just outside the 10 fastest speeds in the NHL this season and .02 mph behind Hawks center Frank Nazar (ninth-fastest).
Spellacy and Nazar could be skating side by side in future seasons, but they would look pretty different. The 19-year-old Spellacy is 5 inches taller than the 5-foot-10 Nazar.
Now imagine a 6-3, 204-pound Spellacy plowing toward you with a top-15 speed. NHL players may have the displeasure of dealing with that in the future.
“I’d like to think my speed (is the best part of my game) and my size that goes with it,” Spellacy said. “I think it’s scary for other teams going up against it.”
The 2024 third-round draft pick is in his fourth season with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. He has 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 44 games this season.
Spellacy still is looking for ways to combine his speed and size with his confidence with the puck. He hasn’t added a ton of numbers to his stat sheet, but that’s perfectly OK for the youngster.
“I might not have a ton of points, but for me that’s fine,” Spellacy said. “I’m just trying to get better so I’m ready for next year.
“I have fun going out there playing that hard, heavy role and being a good penalty killer. That’s going to be what gets my foot into the door at the next level.”
Spellacy got another taste of that next level last summer at the Hawks development camp. He was able to get familiar with both Chicago and his future teammates.
He has stayed in touch with other Hawks prospects such as Kevin Korchinski, Nick Lardis and Samuel Savoie. Getting back to Chicago and wearing the Hawks logo adds motivation to his game.
“One hundred percent, (it motivates me) every day getting on the ice,” Spellacy said. “I want to be a Blackhawk, so I’m doing everything I can to be better and help my game and my career.”
The mindset of not needing to score a point every shift is one that Hawks coach Jeff Blashill preaches, and Spellacy lives by it too. As long as he has the chance to be on the ice, he’s satisfied.
“I take pride in that, so I don’t really care about scoring points, scoring goals,” he said. “It’s cool and it’s fun, but I like going out there, playing that physical role (and) being a pain to play against.”