Connor Bedard comes forward about difficulty dealing with the pressure of the Chicago market
It is not easy to be the face of an original six NHL franchise at 19-years-old, but Connor Bedard has been pushed into the spotlight.
He has taken the attention well, with 70 points through 80 career games in the NHL, after being selected first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023. The former exceptional status WHL player with the Regina Pats, Bedard was no stranger to pressure, but going to the NHL is a leap beyond that.
Connor Bedard sat down with Frank Seravalli this week, to talk about these pressures:
Bedard: «No, it's kind of a slow progression. But I think I'm not a guy that loves being in front of the camera or anything. I think there's guys that, you know, really thrive with being off the ice, showing their personality or whatever. But I'm pretty boring in front of a camera. So that's a different thing for me. You know, not something that I love. But it's part of it, and you got to learn to just deal with it, and it's all fine."
Clearly Connor Bedard is not afraid of the spotlight, especially considering his very demure nature, but he is using it as fuel to push himself as hard as possible:
Bedard: «It feels good. We want to win. I think last year was really disappointing for us. We all went into the summer with a lot of motivation. We brought in a lot of guys that have done really well individually, but have also won. I think we brought in three or four guys that have won a (Stanley) Cup, or multiple cups. That's hard to find. And just with them coming in, they don't want to be on a losing team. And we're really driven every day. Our practices have been really high-paced. And in the games, I feel like we've played really well so far. Obviously, we've got to get more wins, but it definitely feels like we're going in the right direction."
The vibes in Chicago are far from perfect, as the team pushes forward towards the next era of Blackhawks Stanley Cup Playoffs hockey. They are not there yet, but if it is up to Connor Bedard, they will be soon.
