Chicago Blackhawks prospect Blake Hillman will play for a national championship Saturday at United Center.
Hillman, Chicago’s 2016 sixth-round pick, and Denver defeated Notre Dame 6-1 on Thursday in the Frozen Four semifinals to earn a spot in the national title game against Minnesota-Duluth.
Hillman is scoreless in three postseason games for the Pioneers. He scored a goal and six assists in 39 regular-season games during his sophomore season.
Fellow Hawks prospect Dennis Gilbert, a 2015 third-rounder, had zero goals and 22 assists in 37 regular-season games for Notre Dame. He did not record a point in three postseason games for the Fighting Irish.
Denver scored five goals after two periods before Notre Dame’s Came Morrison found the back of the net at 11:24 of the third. Denver added another five minutes later for the final margin.
The second-ranked Bulldogs advanced to the title game after Alex Iafallo scored with 26.6 seconds remaining for a 2-1 victory over Harvard in the first semifinal game Thursday. Minnesota-Duluth will play in their third championship game and their first since the 2011 team brought home the program’s lone title.
The top overall seed Denver also will make its first trip to the title game since it won its last title in 2005. The Pioneers have won seven national titles, which ranks third all time behind Michigan (nine) and North Dakota (eight).