Connor Bedard is coming off a disappointing NHL season in which he still led the Chicago Blackhawks in points, but couldn’t help the team escape the league’s basement. As he reflected on his journey, the 19-year-old dropped a sincere confession on how he sees his future version.
The 2024-25 NHL season was somewhat of a controlled fire for the Blackhawks. Chicago is still in the early stages of a rebuild, and no one really expected the organization to turn the tide, despite Bedard’s best efforts.
Regardless, Bedard’s production was far from stellar. He led the team in scoring, but it still left a sour taste in fans’ mouths. Reflecting on his third NHL season, the franchise’s savior made a sincere confession about the unusual campaign.
While much buzz surrounds Bedard’s every move and comment, the teenager has shown great poise in weathering the storms in the Windy City. He laid all doubts to rest with a sincere statement about his future plans, amid speculation sparked by his decision to kick the can down the road on extension talks.
Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates his first-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during their game at T-Mobile Arena on October 27, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada
“We have a great relationship and everyone knows I want to be a Hawk as long as I’m playing,“ Bedard told The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus. “I’ll keep [if I have talked about an extension with Chicago] very close to my chest.”
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Stress-free
“I know they appreciate me and want me with the team. Once you know that, there’s no stress or anything about that,” Bedard added. “Whether it’s done next week or during the year or at the end of the year, that doesn’t stress me out too much. Anything can happen, but the relationship between me and the team is really strong.”
On-the-job learning
Though considered a generational talent and a sure superstar in the NHL, the Blackhawks know better than to expect Bedard to lift the team to victory night in and night out. The teenager holds himself to a high standard, nevertheless, and while nobody will criticize him, he knows his past production wasn’t optimal.
“There were some gaps in my game for a couple stretches of the season,” Bedard confessed in dialogue with The Athletic. “Obviously, I’m young and should be pretty fresh, for the most part.“
Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks looks on during the first period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on December 14, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.
“I just thought there were a couple times in the year where I wasn’t feeling my best, and obviously that’s on me to do the right things. When I’m at the top of my game, I feel like I’m a pretty impactful player. So if I can be there—or close to there—almost every night, that’s going to make a big difference.”
