Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard had a good year under head coach Jeff Blashill.
The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t win many games down the stretch, but they were happy with the development of multiple young players. Of course, the most important of them all, Connor Bedard, took the biggest step.
Bedard had his fist 30 goal/point per game season, and that was without a consistently productive linemate for most of the year. It won’t be long before he reaches his ceiling of a 100-point superstar NHL forward.
This was the first season that Bedard played under head coach Jeff Blashill, who was hired last spring. Based on his words, Blashill made a positive impression on Bedard from the get-go.
“He was great from day one,” Bedard said. “I think he flew out to a bunch of places and had dinner this summer. He was in [Vancouver], had dinner with me. That’s not a quick trip for him. But that is his commitment. From day one, I think he made it obvious what we needed to do as a team and as individuals. I think that’s all you can really ask for: a defined role and what’s needed from you and what’s expected from you. You know if you’re not doing that, you’ll play less or whatever it is. I think he did a great job, and that goes a long way in the room.”
Bedard made it clear that Blashill did whatever he had to do to make players comfortable right away. It’s also important that he was transparent about roles on the team, especially with how young they are as a whole. For Bedard, he’s a budding superstar, and it’s okay for him to play like one.
Earlier in the year, Blashill commented on Bedard being allowed to try and pick corners because he has shown he can. Other players don’t do it with the same regularity, so they have to play to their strengths. That goes into what Bedard was saying.
At times, Blashill was loyal to a fault. He kept lines the same when there was a need for change, but he was committed to playing winning hockey his way. That means having continuity. With that said, he started to shuffle things around late in the season when the standings were no longer a factor.
Over the off-season, Bedard and Blashill will be on the same page as they head into their second year together. The feelings that Bedard has for Blashill seem to be reciprocated.
"I thought Connor had an excellent year, to be honest with you," said head coach Jeff Blashill. "If you look at when he got hurt, he was one of the very best players in the league. My biggest thing with Connor isn't about points. It's about what his mindset was. His mindset is 100% on playing winning hockey and building this thing into a winning team more than anything else. Once I realized that, I was really pleased with his approach on a daily basis."
It's very important for the team's best player (and likely captain) and the head coach to have a great working relationship on and off the ice. Blashill and Bedard seem to have that after year one. Their words on each other reflect positivity.
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