Not Connor Bedard: Blackhawks star puts Sidney Crosby’s Canada on notice with sensational 2025 IIHF World Championship

There are no shortage of superstars in the 2025 IIHF World Championship, though key absences include Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard, who opted out of the competition after the turmoil year in Chicago. However, one fellow teammate of Bedard in the Windy City made the trip with USA Hockey—it’s paying off as his recent performances might keep Sidney Crosby and Canada’s team on their toes.

Bedard’s decision to decline the invitation to the 2025 IIHF World Championship caused much controversy around the NHL and in international hockey, where thousands of fans hoped to watch him play alongside Crosby, MacKinnon, Fleury, and company.

It wasn’t meant to be, however, as the Blackhawks star chose to focus on his individual development and enjoy some time away from hockey during the offseason in Chicago. His decision drew even more scrutiny as Macklin Celebrini seized his opportunity with the national team, skating alongside ‘Sid the Kid’.

While Celebrini and Crosby are enjoying great success so far in the 2025 IIHF World Championship, another star on the Blackhawks is also putting the world on notice stacking up sensational numbers with USA’s national team.

Frank Nazar of the Chicago Blackhawks

Frank Nazar is currently the leading goalscorer for the American team with 6 goals in seven games through the Preliminary Round in the 2025 IIHF World Championship. He registers 5 assists for a total of 11 points, which lead the team through seven games, too.

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Crosby’s powerful statement about Celebrini may have Bedard re-considering decision to decline invite to IIHF World Championship

When can Canada and the USA clash?

Canada finished the Preliminary Round in first place in Group A, with 19 points thanks to 6 regulation triumphs and only one loss (against Finland). The USA, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy a journey as smooth as their neighbors from upstairs, finishing in third place in Group B with 17 points, thanks to 5 regulation wins, an overtime victory, and a regulation defeat (against Switzerland).

Therefore, Canada and the USA won’t meet in the Quarterfinals round, and could meet in the semifinals, but it depends entirely on other results as there is no fixed bracket and the matchups are decided by criteria: the best-ranked team plays the worst-ranked in the semifinals.

There are very good chances for both teams to meet in the gold medal showdown, that is of course, if they manage to get past their quarterfinals and semifinals opponents.