Connor Bedard’s Rookie Season Was Anything but a Disappointment

That all seems like so long ago. In hindsight, Bedard certainly came as advertised. He finished the season compiling 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points in 68 games. This led all rookies in all three categories, despite Bedard missing 14 games due to jaw surgery. It’s safe to say he exceeded expectations, as we’ve all watched the young phenom blossom into a superstar.

Yet it’s really only just begun. Let’s look back at Bedard’s first NHL season with the Blackhawks, and look forward to what the future may hold for this rising star.

Bedard & the NHL: The Beginning

Everyone wondered how Bedard’s skills would translate at the NHL level. After all, junior hockey is a whole different animal than the NHL. Bedard would now be a boy playing among men. Defenses are tighter in the NHL. Open areas are harder to come by. Goaltenders are better.

But it didn’t take long for the rookie to adapt. Even with a much more talented playing field, his hockey IQ simply took over. “Ok, things are a little different here. What can I do to adjust accordingly?”

This is what must have been going through Bedard’s mind each and every game, as he became more and more familiar with this new world. He lined up across from his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby, for his very first NHL game on Oct. 10.

No, he didn’t win the opening faceoff. But that’s OK. He didn’t score a goal on his first shift, or his first shot. That’s OK too. But the 18-year-old did register a secondary assist on a goal from Ryan Donato, and his team beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. That must have been a nice feeling.

Bedard DID score a goal in his second NHL game, against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 11. Like I said, it didn’t take long.

The cool thing about this first tally is Bedard was just as integral in setting up the goal as he was in scoring it. He stuck with the play and was tenacious around the net, scoring on the wraparound. It wasn’t a pretty goal; it was a greasy goal. This illustrated Bedard has more than just that crazy, quick release up his sleeve. Although, there was plenty of that to follow as well.

The teenager went on to produce at almost a point-per-game pace throughout the rest of October, as well as in November and December. He was named rookie of the month in November, producing six goals and 12 points in 12 games. This included the contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning where he recorded two goals (including the game-winning goal) and four points, becoming the third-youngest player in NHL history to produce a four-point game.

But Bedard was just getting started. He was also named rookie of the month in December, with totals of five goals and 15 points in 15 games. He was the first rookie to win this honor in consecutive months since Jordan Binnington did so in 2019 (Feb. and Mar.).

Speaking of Binnington, Bedard pulled off “the Michigan” against the St. Louis Blues’ goaltender on Dec. 23. Is there anything this kid can’t do?!

Bedard was off to a dazzling start. What could possibly stop him now?!

The Setback: Jaw Surgery

Well, an injury ended up putting a dent in Bedard’s first NHL season. On Jan. 5, he was carrying the puck into the zone and was hit hard by New Jersey Devil’s defenseman Brendan Smith. Bedard jumped up right away, but exited the ice holding his mouth. Sure enough, the hit had fractured his jaw. He underwent surgery on Jan. 8, and was given a timeline of six-to-eight weeks to recover. While disappointing, this is where we learned more about this young man’s unwavering determination and love for the game.

Bedard was spotted back on the ice exactly one week post-surgery, on Jan. 15. Granted, he donned a full face shield, and wasn’t allowed to take slapshots or do anything that might involve clenching his jaw. It became a running joke with the players, coaches and trainers that they just couldn’t keep Bedard off the ice. He would go out before practice, and then sneak back after practice. He also found his own way to participate in the 2024 All-Star festivities, even though he couldn’t play in the actual game.

Apparently Bedard was his own biggest advocate for returning to play sooner rather than later. He researched players with similar injuries and learned that Boston Bruins’ Zdeno Chara broke his jaw in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. The veteran defenseman didn’t miss a game, with wires and screws holding his jaw together. By gosh, Bedard said, why couldn’t he do the same?!

Well, the rookie learned the hard way that this wasn’t the Cup Final, and the organization didn’t want to take any unnecessary chances with their young charge. According to Blackhawks’ general manager Kyle Davidson, Bedard was begging to have as many doctor’s appointments as possible. “I haven’t necessarily encountered this with a player before, but he was pushing to get checked by the doctors as often as possible. It was a lot of, ‘Can I get in to see the doctor? Can I go again?'”

Finally, right before the six-week mark, Bedard was cleared for contact. That was all he needed to hear. Never mind the Blackhawks wanted him to get in a few practices before he played. Bedard invited himself into head coach Luke Richardson’s office when Davidson was also there for a meeting. His sole purpose was to talk them into letting him play against the Penguins on Feb. 15.

Richardson and Davidson agreed to have Bedard skate with the coaches the morning of the game, and for Richardson to engage him in some contact to see how he responded. “Once we gave that green light,” Davidson said, “there was a zero percent chance Bedard wasn’t going to play that night.”

Bedard returned to action just one day shy of six weeks from his Jan. 5. injury.

Bedard Shows Improvement Post Surgery

After missing time, most players need a few games to shake off the rust. Not so for Bedard. He got straight to work, registering two goals and six points in his first three games back.

In March, Bedard’s four goals and 17 points earned him rookie of the month AGAIN, making him the first player to win this honor three times in one season since Connor McDavid did so in the 2015-16 season. Bedard also topped his previous four-point game record with a five-point game (1G, 4A) in the 7-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Mar. 12.

His totals post-surgery ended up being seven goals and 28 points in 29 games, which was actually closer to a point-per-game than his pre-surgery stats of 15 goals and 33 points in 39 games.

Besides offensive production, Bedard’s coaches and fellow teammates noticed other improvements to his overall game after surgery. It appeared the 2023 No. 1 overall pick had used his time off to study the game, and figure out some ways to further facilitate the team.

Coach Richardson gave Bedard credit for drawing more penalties. “He’s not putting himself in harm’s way; he’s just attacking through the cracks where he knows someone has to put an arm on him nowadays. They have to reach in, and that’s great because he knows he gets the benefit from that.”

The coach was also happy to see Bedard thinking a little bit more defensively. After shooting a puck, instead of throwing in the towel on the play, the rookie was working his way back into the offensive zone, putting himself in a better position to backcheck and keep the play alive. “That’s a better position, both defensively and offensively,” Richardson said. “And I saw him three or four times putting his head down, crossing over and busting back as the first guy back.”

Richardson expanded that this was a “difference in his game” since returning from injury.

In early April, Richardson gave Bedard kudos for being more physical in his game. Obviously, Bedard is a skill player that’s not very big, so his physicality entailed being clever more than just brute force. Said Bedard,

A big thing for me, before games, is telling myself [to] go get the puck and not wait for it to come to me. If we dump it in, you’ve got to get it back, and that’s one way to do it. Obviously, I’m not going to be blowing anybody up. But if I can eliminate a guy from the puck here and there, then we get the puck and try to create offense.

This more well-rounded mentality earned Bedard more trust with the coaching staff. There were a couple times late in the season where Richardson sent Bedard out to defend the Blackhawks’ lead late in the game. This is usually a job for more defensive-minded players, but the whole idea is to give the young players more responsibility in all situations. “It shows Luke has some trust in me there,” Bedard said. “It’s a really important part of the game, and . . . it feels good to be trusted in that situation.”

Richardson added, “He likes ice time, so he’s eager to learn in this game to give himself more ice time. And he’s earning it.”

What the Future Holds for Bedard

It’s apparent that Bedard made positive strides as the 2023-24 season progressed. He acclimated to the NHL, successfully worked through an injury, continued to find ways to produce and improved his all-around game. What more could you ask for?!

Well, Bedard will be the first person to tell you he’s not satisfied. Beyond this young man’s incredible talent, it’s his commitment to the game and work ethic that convinces us there’s so much more to come. Over the offseason, Bedard obviously has a plan.  

Going into the summer, [it] is great to know what the league’s like, how you can succeed, and what more I can do to succeed.

I want to get faster in the gym, probably more explosive and a little stronger for puck battles and net-front [scrums] and stuff like that. On the ice, the main thing is probably speed, but I’m going to work on just trying to create more offense.

Richardson added his assessment of Bedard’s trajectory, saying he wants him to focus on what to do away from the puck. He also mentioned Bedard tried to do too much offensively at times. He needs to recognize when that happens and not force things. The coach didn’t really bring up adding more offense, because he probably knows this is already on the agenda for the hyper-focused Bedard.

At the time of this writing Bedard has officially been nominated as a Calder Trophy finalist, awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition.” Many think he’s a shoo-in to win it. He’ll also be attending the IIHF World Championships in May, representing Team Canada.

But the main focus will be on the 2024-25 season with the Blackhawks. Veteran and de facto captain of the Blackhawks, Nick Foligno, added a few insightful words about Bedard.

He’s always trying to be a better version of himself. It’s impressive at a young age that he’s got that already dialed in. I give him a ton of credit for the way he’s handled this year and I look forward to him taking a big step next year too.

That’s what’s exciting is, I still think there’s a lot in Connor that is still raw and can be developed. That’s a pretty scary thought, what he’s been able to accomplish already at 18. The good news is he’s the type of guy that doesn’t get too caught up in anything. Now he’s moving ahead and I’m excited to see a 19-year-old Connor Bedard.

No doubt Bedard will come back stronger and even more prepared for the 2024-25 season, now that he has his first NHL season under his belt. Plus, Davidson has already said he wants the team to take the next step in the rebuild next season. The bar will be raised for the entire team. Plus, other talented young prospects besides Bedard will be pushing for a spot on the roster.

All this is plenty of reason to be excited for the Blackhawks’ 2024-25 season.