The curious case of Connor Bedard rings very true in sports that teams, fans and pundits alike tend to put a lot of pressure on young athletes to win immediately. Bedard was the much-heralded top NHL draft pick in the 2023 draft and was expected to provide immediate dividends in yet another rebuilding campaign for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Remember, this franchise isn't that far removed from winning the Stanley Cup so winning ways shouldn't be anathema for this organization. Again, with all the pomp, pageantry and plain old hype of the "next Connor" coming to the Windy City, expectations were instantly elevated to the point that the real Connor Bedard, a teenage hockey player from North Vancouver, BC, has been promoted to savior status for a stagnant Blackhawks organization.
(Writer's note: it's worth pointing out that the other Connor has yet to win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton even though he's been promoted to"McJesus" status in Oil Country.)
Has Connor Bedard really slumped this season?
While sports numbers do not necessarily lie, Connor Bedard has slipped a bit this season compared to his rookie campaign during the 2023-24 NHL season. In 68 games played last year, Bedard led the team with 22 goals and 39 assists while this year his production has gone down with 17 goals and 35 assists in 67 games so far this season with 15 games remaining.
Despite the lower production numbers, Bedard is tied for first place on the team with 52 total points with plenty of hockey still to be played this season. Could this "slump" be attributed to the fact that NHL teams now know Connor Bedard and anticipate his playing style more?
In reality, the Blackhawks have hitched their wagon to a teenaged player who may someday be one of the greatest players ever to touch the ice. In the meantime, Bedard is just one player on a youthful team who are desperately trying to find their way in a tough National Hockey League.
Connor Bedard is starting to learn the business of hockey the hard way
Sports franchises are guilty of building up the hype about the potential of their players and the expectations from those players become almost impossible to live up to when it comes to playing the grind of the National Hockey League night after night.
For Connor Bedard, his recent experiences with officials on the road in both San Jose and his hometown of Vancouver show that his star power does not translate to an elevated status on the ice. In fact, Bedard needs to remember that he's just one player on the ice at one time and grown men are not fond of taking verbal abuse from a teenager regardless of that teenager's star power.
Despite what many pundits may feel as a singling-out of Bedard, the fact remains that he's just a young player out on the ice and his voice carries little weight in the experienced world of NHL officials.
It could very well be that Bedard has been singled out simply because of his star power and that game officials are trying to teach him a lesson in humility to make him a better player down the road. Whichever way you spin the situation, one thing remains very clear: Connor Bedard is not in the same category with the Crosbys, Ovechkins and McDavids of the NHL at this point and his back-to-back ten minute misconduct penalties have cost his team in both games.
Connor Bedard has the potential to be one of the greatest players ever to play the game of hockey and his greatness begins with developing a new approach to leading this young Blackhawks organization on the ice.