Welcome Forest Dwelller! The first post is really the hardest. It's a great forum, you'll learn a lot and I'm sure will contribute as well over time.
Regarding your question, it is definitely not stupid but is too large and unknown, there is no easy answer but here's a summary of my own thinking:
Leading up to a "relatively ice-free Arctic in late summer" will probably be a season of weak ice to start with, increased melt due to weather and incoming heat from the periphery, and finally the defined mark of "less than 1 million square kilometers of sea ice extent" considered "ice-free Arctic". Probably some ice will be left somewhere next to Ellesmere Island, the CAA or Greenland, and here and there. An acceleration towards the "end" is possible because of thinner ice going poof, but on the other hand this will happen towards the end of the melting season, when melt rates are much lower.
As to after the "event", you should not be surprised to see the Arctic Ocean wholly or partially refreezing during winter for quite a long time to come. It generally takes -10oC to effectively freeze sea water. The central Arctic at midwinter goes to -35oC. Even with all kinds of warming and feedbacks, water vapor, waves and storms, CO2 etc., some part of the Arctic during some part of the winter will reach the required temps and refreeze. Bear in mind the central Arctic is currently "ice-full" during 8 months of the year, while many peripheral seas are ice-full for 5 months. Even with a longer ice-free period, you might still get to full extent, just for a shorter time. I expect the same to happen this year as well. There is a good probability though that after the winter refreeze following the "ice free" end of season, the next summer will find it easy to reach the same ice-free state again, although there have been strong arguments as to why even that is not expected (the "Slow Transition" theory).