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Ryan Greene, Chicago Blackhawks prospect as a member of the Green Bay Gamblers (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)

Blackhawks Prospects Report: Thompson, Greene, Rinzel & More

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Bay | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 11:30 AM ET

Welcome to the latest installment of the “Future Hawks” prospect series. In this column, we take a look at the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospects who are standing out and enjoying success, whether they’re playing in Canadian juniors, the American Hockey League (AHL), Europe, Russia, or anywhere around the world.

This edition will focus on the Blackhawks prospects who are playing on teams selected to participate in the NCAA Hockey Tournament. The 16 teams selected to play for the national championship have been placed in their regionals, and the puck will drop on Thursday (March 27) and Friday (March 28), two of the more exciting days on the hockey calendar.

The single-elimination tournament will be played in four different regions, with a first round followed by a regional final. The winner of each region will advance to the 2025 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in St. Louis, which starts on April 10 and finishes on April 12 with the national championship game.

The Blackhawks have seven of their prospects playing on four NCAA teams.

Aidan Thompson – University of Denver

Aidan Thompson scored the game-winning goal in Denver’s 4-2 win over Arizona State in Friday’s (March 21) NCHC Semifinal, but the Pioneers fell to Western Michigan in double overtime in the championship game. Denver wants to repeat as champion and extend its record to 11 national titles. They will open the tournament against Providence College on Friday, March 28, in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Aidan Thompson buries today's @Safeway Goal of the Game to put the Pioneers back in front.

: @CBSSportsNet #GoPios pic.twitter.com/ZxPD3ocFUw
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) March 21, 2025

The Blackhawks’ third-round pick in 2022 has been outstanding for the Pioneers this season, getting 51 points in 41 games in Denver. A few weeks ago, Thompson picked up his 100th career point for the Pioneers and has been instrumental in leading their top line, which many feel is the best line in the NCAA. His progress in Denver has been exceptional, as he has 21 more points this season compared to last when the Pioneers won their 10th national title.

John Mustard, Connor Kelly, Taige Harding – Providence College

The trio of Blackhawks prospects will face their fellow prospect Aidan Thompson in the first round of the NCAA tournament when the Friars were invited as an at-large team. Providence and Denver last met at Schneider Arena on Oct. 20, 2023, as the Friars came away victorious by a 4-3 decision. It is Providence’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 and 16th overall. The Friars should be well rested after bowing out of the Hockey East Tournament in the quarterfinals against Connecticut. It will be exactly two weeks between games when the puck drops on Friday.

All three Blackhawks prospects played integral parts in the Friar’s success. John Mustard, the team’s third-round pick in 2024, has 20 points in 34 games. Connor Kelly, a seventh-round selection in 2021, has been a mainstay on the blue line. Taige Harding has also been a force on the blue line in Providence and has 14 points in 36 games. The Blackhawks selected Harding in the third round in 2021. All three players will add the NCAA tournament experience to their solid development.

Ryan Greene – Boston University

The Terriers will be looking to make their third straight trip to the Frozen Four in their 40th NCAA Tournament appearance. They earned a No. 2 seed in the Toledo Regional and will face the third-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes. Ryan Greene has 33 points in 36 games for BU, which has been to the Frozen Four 24 times and has won five national titles, the last in 2009. The Terriers lost in overtime to Denver in the national semifinals last season, the second straight year they lost in the national semis.

Ryan Greene, Chicago Blackhawks prospect as a member of the Green Bay Gamblers (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)

The Blackhawks’ second-round pick in 2022 would like to add a national championship to his resume after finally adding the Beanpot Championship. The Beanpot is an annual men’s and women’s ice hockey tournament among the four major college hockey teams of the Greater Boston area in the United States: BU, Boston College Eagles, Harvard University Crimson, and Northeastern University Huskies.

His focus on bringing home a national title has Greene waiting before he dedicates time to deciding whether to return for a fourth season at BU or turn pro.

Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel – Minnesota

Minnesota heads to its 42nd all-time NCAA Tournament appearance, the most of any college hockey program, extending a five-year streak at the postseason event. The Gophers enter the tournament behind a 25-10-4 mark this season and a record seventh Big Ten Conference regular season championship in the league’s 12-year history. Sophomore Sam Rinzel was named the Big Ten Conference Men’s Hockey Defensive Player of the Year thanks to a career-best 10 goals.

Sam Rinzel, Chicago Blackhawks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Earlier in March, Oliver Moore picked up four points during Minnesota’s series win at Penn State, landing him the Big Ten’s First Star of the Week honors. It was his first weekly accolade of the season, coming in the final week of the regular season, and the second of his career. He also finished the weekend with a plus-3 rating and became the fourth player from the Gophers to reach the 30-point mark this season.

As all games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks, Blackhawks fans will get the chance to watch the prospects compete for a national championship while also seeing how these young players have developed and someday may don a Blackhawks sweater.