CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard addressed rumors Thursday he isn’t happy playing for the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I’m a pretty mild-mannered guy and if I looked a little sad on the bench or something, maybe people can take it out of context,” Bedard said during the Blackhawks’ final media session of the season. “I’ve said it so many times, I love being here and the city, the people.
“If you get the first overall pick, you’re probably not winning the (Stanley) Cup the next two years. It's an understanding of where you’re at. You’re going out there to win every game but at the end, you know we’re in a process of growing and learning, and that’s an exciting time. When you lose, it makes winning a lot sweeter once you get there. So, we’re excited for that.”
The No. 1 pick by Chicago at the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard led the team with 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists) this season. The 19-year-old was coming off a season in which he had 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 2023-24 and won the Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top rookie.
This season had its frustrating moments for Bedard, whether it was an individual scoring slump or two, or the Blackhawks’ overall performance. Chicago (25-46-11) finished last in the Central Division for the second consecutive season and also had a coaching change; Luke Richardson was fired Dec. 5 and replaced by interim coach Anders Sorensen, who was coaching Rockford of the American Hockey League.
“Early in the year, when you’re losing, guys are frustrated,” Bedard said. “But we’re just competitive and you want to win. I’m always having fun at the rink and enjoying the game and stuff. I think things can maybe get taken out of context a little bit. We’re always happy to be here and playing and having fun and with the young guys coming up, I think there was so much positivity surrounded by it, especially at the end of the year and how many guys made their debuts or came up after they were in Rockford for a bit, or whatever.”
But there are reasons for optimism in Chicago. The emergence of young players such as forwards Frank Nazar, 21, and Oliver Moore, 20, and defensemen Sam Rinzel, 20 and Artyom Levshunov, 19 was encouraging. Levshunov was the No. 2 pick at the 2024 NHL Draft; he had six assists in 18 games.
The Blackhawks finished 4-2-2 in April, including road victories at the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
“Yeah, it was great to see a lot of guys’ growth and see what the future can hold,” Bedard said. “It was a lot of fun to get to play with these guys. It was kind of growing up with these guys and keep improving.”
Bedard is eligible to sign his next contract with the Blackhawks on July 1. He just finished the second of a three-year, $2.85 million entry-level deal ($950,000 average annual value) he signed July 17, 2023.
General manager Kyle Davidson said, “We’ll see if there’s anything to announce this summer” regarding another contract for Bedard, but he’s happy with the center’s growth in several areas.
“I think some more of the nuances of the game, the things that we’ll lean on him (for) as someone who is going to play a lot of minutes and important minutes. You know -- your face-offs, some of the defensive aspects of the game,” Davidson said.
“Again, know he’s 19, he’s got room and areas to grow in. I believe he truly understands that; he’s excited to attack that. But no, I think some more of those nuanced parts of the game, I think we saw some nice progress from him. I’m sure he’d like his production to be higher and all that. For his point in his career, he’s done an incredible job of not only handling the on-ice but the off-ice and also producing and playing some good hockey while still only 19 years of age.”
Bedard said he’s not sure yet if he’ll play for Canada in the IIHF World Championship, which will be May 9-25 in Sweden and Denmark.
“I think that’s something that will come out pretty soon,” Bedard said. “Still kind of deciding on that, but we’ll see here in the next few days.”
Whether he competes in the tournament or not, Bedard said he’ll spend most of his summer at home in North Vancouver, British Columbia, preparing for next season. He’ll be working on his overall game, with a focus on trying to improve his speed and acceleration.
The Blackhawks are optimistic in the trajectory they’re taking, and Bedard is happy to be in Chicago.
“Even before I got drafted, I was embraced as one of (Chicago’s) own, so it’s a special sports town and we have a lot of great players coming up, great people,” Bedard said. “Anything can get said. I don’t really look at that, don’t really see a lot of that unless someone shows me. But I just think people who know me know I love to be here and really trust the direction we’re going.”
