Connor Bedard isn’t worried about his future with the Chicago Blackhawks, and he wants fans to know it.
“We’re both comfortable with where we’re at,” the young star told NHL.com during the NHL Media Tour. “They know I want to be there; I know they want me.”
The 18-year-old phenom has already made his mark in Chicago, even though he’s still adjusting to life in the big leagues.
It hasn’t always been easy. At just 5-foot-10, Bedard’s had to learn how to be the team’s go-to guy while facing the NHL’s biggest and best defenders every night. That’s a pretty tough ask for any teenager, let alone one coming straight from junior hockey with the Regina Pats.
But the kid’s got serious game.
He’s already done something only Sidney Crosby and Patrik Laine have managed since 2000 – scoring more than 60 points in each of his first two seasons as a teenager.
Want more impressive numbers? Bedard’s racked up 128 points in his first 150 games. That’s the third-highest total for any teenager in the past decade, with only Connor McDavid and Laine doing better. He’s even outpacing stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Nico Hischier, who had 101 and 99 points respectively in their early years.
For Blackhawks fans wondering if their 2023 No. 1 pick will ever reach superstar status, here’s the really exciting part: Bedard’s nowhere near his prime yet. He’s already playing at an elite level for his age, and there’s plenty of room to grow.
As for that new contract? Bedard’s not sweating it.
“It’s really not on my mind that much,” he says. “When it happens, it’ll happen.”
