Bedard's time will come for Canada, 4 Nations GM says 

TORONTO -- Connor Bedard’s time will come.

It just isn’t now.

The No. 1 pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft was expected to land a place on Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, but the native of North Vancouver has hit a sophomore slump this season and was left off.

Canada general manager Don Sweeney said there is no rush to get the 19-year-old into best-on-best action, saying the adversity he’s dealing with in the NHL will give him the type of experience that will be invaluable in future international events.

“Going through the second time around the League now, [so to] speak, in your second year, there are some challenges associated with that,” Sweeney said Thursday. “He’s working through that right now.

"He’s working through that situation where he gets all the attention possible from the best players he’s playing against each and every night. So, I think he’s living and breathing it right now, and it’s only going to help him build his resume.”

The 4 Nations Face-Off will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston with teams of NHL players representing Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland. Each team plays each other in a round-robin tournament with the top two teams advancing to a championship game.

Bedard said he understands the decision and takes full accountability for not being selected, adding that it will fuel him to be better for when the next such opportunity arises.

“You kind of sleep in the bed you make,” Bedard told TNT on Wednesday after the rosters were announced. “And I obviously haven’t been too happy with the start of the year.

“You can kind of use this as a sort of motivation and keep going, keep working hard, keep trying to get better. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Bedard has 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 26 games this season after getting 68 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 61 games last season, winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year.

He is no stranger to shining on the biggest of stages while wearing a Canadian jersey, having led all players at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in seven games. He was named the tournament's top forward and most valuable player, helping Canada win a second straight gold medal.

In Sweeney’s view, Bedard will have a chance to show his dominance at the international level again, especially after getting eight points (five goals, three assists) in 10 games for Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships. Whether that comes at the 2026 Milan Olympics remains to be seen, but he’ll be given every opportunity to make that team.

“He is a terrific young player,” the Boston Bruins general manager said. “And when we went through the process as a management group of building the best team to compete in February, with certainly an eye towards what the next wave of future great players is going to look like, we’re excited on both sides of the ledger.

“Connor certainly falls in that category. We know the special qualities he has.”