Connor Bedard’s Quick Return Is Another Example Of His Commitment To Blackhawks

On Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins at the United Center. This was an important win for Chicago on an exciting night for many reasons, but the return of captain Connor Bedard from shoulder surgery was the most important. 

Connor Bedard suffered the injury while trying to improve his game over the summer. That’s what he does. It’s all about being the best player he can be, always. Injuries happen, but the initial timeline for a mid-November return following the required surgery was a bummer for him and the team. 

However, Bedard didn’t just sit around and wait to get healthy. He put in the work to make sure he came back bigger and better than ever. That determination allowed him to return to Chicago’s lineup more than a month prior to his projected schedule. Nobody knows how much work was needed more than Connor Bedard himself:

"I put a lot of time and effort into the rehab process to try to come back a little earlier than expected," Bedard said. 

It should be a good feeling for Bedard, who showed his commitment to the Chicago Blackhawks by doing what he had to do to minimize the time missed. That's one of many things that Bedard has done to show his desire to be the franchise player that the Blackhawks selected him as the first overall pick to be. 

"Connor put an incredible amount of work in to come back as quickly as he did," head coach Jeff Blashill said. "He did everything he could possible to put himself in position to come back quick. It's a testament to him, his desire to play, his work ethic, and his commitment to the team."

Whether it's his extension, coming back from injury as quickly as he can, or always working to better himself on the ice, there is a deep devotion behind Bedard's success as a hockey player. That is one of the main reasons he has already been named the captain of an Original Six franchise at 21 years old. 

"He's been working so hard every day," Teuvo Teravainen said when asked about the effort Bedard put in to get healthy. "It's amazing to see. You can see right away: he steps on the ice, and he's our best player. That's a big thing for us." 

Connor Bedard has been very self-aware over the first few years of his career when it comes to recognizing his importance to the team. He is a humble kid, but he also knows that he has the talents required to be the face of an NHL franchise. He doesn't take that lightly, which is why he took getting back quickly so seriously. 

It paid off for the team right away. There were moments of rust in his game, but overall he had scoring opportunities, created chances for his teammates at even strength, and made the power play look like an entirely different unit. Everyone appeared more skilled and confident just by having him out there. 

Bedard's one-touch pass to Roman Kantserov for his goal made the play that Patrick Kane and Bowen Byram made ahead of it appear even more skilled. Everything clicks better in all situations when Bedard is out there. 

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