USA Today Network, Jasen Vinlove
Blackhawks Connor Bedard: "Gamebreaking" NHL Rookie Scoring Leader Playing With "Chip On Shoulder"
Connor Bedard isn't just a remarkably gifted hockey player, he's a driven one.
Bedard in action at Florida.
USA Today Network, Jasen Vinlove
Now the Chicago Blackhawks 18-year-old rookie is playing with an added dash of feistiness.
Bedard was held off the scoresheet and to just one shot on goal by Tampa Bay in a 4-2 loss at the United Center on Thursday, but wasn't afraid to mix it up with bigger, older players. He even started a mild fracas with Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev after the 6-foot-1 Russian boarded linemate Philipp Kurashev in the first period. See video in link: https://x.com/CRoumeliotis/status/1725326451405095303?s=20
Look out NHL. Your "next generation talent" has been unleashed.
"He's playing with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder and I think that's helping him," said veteran Chicago forward Tyler Johnson. "I think he's doing really, really well and this last weekend, I think he's really grown a lot. See the video.
"Being 18, doing what he's doing, the mentality that he has... It definitely is different," the 5-foot-8, 33-year-old Johnson added. "He's playing with a little bit of F-U mentality, which I really like. I think you need that being a smaller guy." More in the video.
Bedard up to 9 goals, 13 points.
Bedard leads all rookies with nine goals and 13 points following his four-goal, six-point output in a pair of games against the Lightning and Panthers in Florida.
After the Blackhawks were blitzed early and fell behind against the Panthers on Sunday, Bedard responded with a tying goal, twice.
He pick-pocketed Kevin Stenlund in the right corner then lifted a shot over two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky an instant later for his his first goal of the game. He sped down left wing, then fired a shot that ticked off the right post for the second.
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Bedard finished with four shots and more chances, but the Panthers prevailed 4-3.
"Those are special; both of them are just great individual efforts," said Nick Foligno, Bedard's 36-year-old left winger. "When you have a player like that — you call them gamebreakers — they either win you the game or keep you in a game like tonight.
"You can see the game is starting to slow down for him, which is scary." See video.
Bedard low-keys his quick adjustment to the NHL, almost matter-of-factly, as a natural process — albeit one he constantly works at. He calls out the game's never-ending series of one-on-one battles as something he's addressing on his personal list.
"I think battles for sure," Bedard said. "Obviously you've got to respect everyone in the league. It's guys you grew up watching, but now that's guys I'm competing against." See video.
And Bedard wants to just be more assertive in puck pursuit whenever he can.
"Of course I want the puck," Bedard said. "Sometimes you just gotta' go get it.
"That goes for all of us as being hard on the forecheck or hard on guys." See video.
