Despite absorbing some big hits and knowing he will take many more, Bedard is determined to control the puck and make plays.

Connor Bedard is a uniquely skilled, gifted player who wants the puck on his stick a lot. That means the Blackhawks forward is going to be hit a fair amount and some of those hits might cause more damage because of his size, just 5-foot-10. 

Bedard learned that the hard way when Devils defenseman Brendan Smith nailed him in a game on Jan. 5 in New Jersey and it fractured his jaw.

For the amount of time Bedard controlled the puck this season, he said that "I probably took three, four big hits in 68 games. That's not crazy." 

Most NHL players are bigger than Bedard, although the 18-year-old is solidly built. That means some checks and collisions will be nasty, even when legal.

"I want to have the puck on my stick a lot and sometimes that's going to happen," Bedard said.

Stars who create the most offense in games are going to be targeted more, whether that be getting a check finished on them or being lined up for a bigger hit. With Bedard, it was already evident that he wanted the puck and the puck always got to him. So given that and being a dangerous offensive player already, there are going to be many opportunities for Bedard get hit hard or "blown up."

It doesn't bother him. It's part of the job.

"I'm not going to shy away from trying to make something happen," Bedard said. "I gotta' be smart about it, but sometimes right before you pass the puck and you know you're going to get hit, you still gotta' make that play."

This will of course lead to more scoring for Chicago. The young sensation showed he can provide it in his rookie year with 22 goals and 61 points that led all first-year NHL scorers in 2023-24.

Bedard recognizes it's going to be a bigger story when he gets a big hit laid on him, especially after the jaw injury. But other than one freak accident — he explained it wasn't even that hard of a hit, but just caught him in a bad spot — Bedard was able to take every hit delivered to him and get up. He even sprung up right away when his jaw got fractured.

On that injury, Bedard noted it was a normal play that he's made 100 times and the puck just bounced on him. With the way Bedard can attack and will get even better in the future, he will be in that spot many more times and isn't afraid to take a hit. The puck does some weird things, but Bedard has great puck control and is confident with it.

Injuries happen and hits are a part of hockey. Bedard knows this and isn't going to change his game to protect himself or be scared of contact. He will continue to play his game and do what needs to be done to win, including taking a hit to make a play.

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