Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks was not named to the Olympic team for Hockey Canada.
The Chicago Blackhawks have a true superstar in Connor Bedard. Up until his shoulder injury, he was one of the most productive players (of any nationality) in the NHL. Through 31 games played this season, Bedard has 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points.
Despite being out for a couple of weeks, he is still on pace for over 100 points. The Blackhawks believe that he is their franchise star who is going to be the best player on a winning team down the line.
On Wednesday, Hockey Canada revealed their initial roster for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy. Connor Bedard did not make it.
Hockey Canada GM Doug Armstrong was asked if Bedard's injury impacted the decision to leave him off the team.
"Not a lot," Armstrong said. "His name was right there until the last second."
Bedard deserves to be on the team; his numbers back up that claim. However, there are a lot of players to pick from for a powerhouse like Canada.
Armstrong believes in building a team more than selecting all of the most skilled players, so guys like Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel made it over a young star like Bedard. Those guys are incredibly skilled as well, but they bring more than just goal scoring. Penalty killing was a huge point of emphasis from Doug Armstrong on these selections.
It is noteworthy that Macklin Celebrini, who was the number one overall pick one year after Connor Bedard, made the team. These two are often compared for a variety of reasons. Celebrini got the nod over his friend Bedard.
A notable omission alongside Bedard is the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner in Sam Bennett. These two are at the top of the list of possible replacements. According to Armstrong, an injury replacement will be based on the type of player who gets hurt. For Bedard, that would be a skilled, finesse goal scorer.
Bedard will have his shoulder injury reevaluated after the first of the year. From there, you can expect him to be on his game following this snub as he looks to be an injury replacement down the line if one pops up.
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