Connor Bedard has a slight chance of being on Team Canada at the Olympics. However, the Chicago Blackhawks star knows it's a tall hill to climb.
The Chicago Blackhawks were hoping to draft a star when they selected Connor Bedard with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
He didn't hit the ground running the way that Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid did when they were the number one picks, but he did have 20 goals and 60 points in each of his first two years. All-Stars like Nathan MacKinnon, Nico Hischier, and Jack Hughes can't say the same about their early career days. It takes a lot of prospects' time to develop, even number one picks.
There is a lot of discussion this year about the Olympics, as the NHL is returning to participate in them for the first time since Sochi 2014. Connor Bedard was invited to their camp before the NHL's regular season started, but it is a long road to actually make the team.
A lot of folks think that it is between him and Macklin Celebrini if they are only going to take one young guy. However, Canada is deep enough that both Celebrini and Bedard could be left off. They could also both force their way on with their play. As they are both top scorers in the league right now, anything can happen.
Connor Bedard wants to be on the team, badly. However, he is realistic about his chances due to the nature of Hockey Canada.
"If that's something that I get to do, that would be unbelievable," Bedard said on being an Olympian in 2026. "I would do anything to be on that team."
Of course, he'd like to go to Milan. That would mean representing his country alongside Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and the rest of their elite team. However, he knows that it is a massive hill to climb at this stage of his career.
"[I try to] take things day by day," Bedard continued. "You know, have fun playing in the NHL, trying to grow as a team, win hockey games, and do everything I can to play my best hockey. In the end, that'll be what puts me in a spot to make it. I mean, it's Canada. There's so many amazing players. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm focused on the Hawks and that stuff kind of comes later."
Bedard has the perfect attitude about it for being just 20 years old. He wants to be the superstar that everyone thought he would be when he was on the Regina Pats, dominating his draft year. He was the best player for Team Canada in a Gold medal-winning effort at the World Juniors, so he knows the glory that comes with international success, too, which is motivating for this as well.
If Bedard keeps playing the way he is, improving at the pace that he has so far, stays healthy, and still doesn't make it, he will have plenty of other chances to represent Canada at best-on-best events.
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