Connor Bedard - Feb. 6 Chicago Blackhawks Media Availability The Chicago Blackhawks hit the ice for practice for the first time in about a week. The break for the 4-Nations Face-Off is over for the players who aren't participating. Both Finland and Sweden were sent packing after round-robin play so Teuvo Teravainen is headed back to Chicago. Connor Bedard was asked about his thoughts on the tournament after the Monday afternoon practice session: "It's been unreal. It's probably been the highest level of hockey ever played. I mean, that Canada game, first 10 seconds there's 3 fights. I think people were wondering how it would be and it's been unbelievable to watch. It's great for the game, and obviously playing for your country shows a lot of pride. It's been fun to watch" Bedard hails from Canada so we know where his heart will be when his nation takes on the United States in Thursday's championship. The truth of the matter is that Connor Bedard would have made that Canadian team even better. They could use another offensive weapon for their bottom six but he didn't have a good enough first-half with Chicago to make the team. Bedard isn't on the level of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, or Brayden Point but he projects to be a superstar like them. At 19, he has set a few good teenage NHL records so he's well on his way. Connor Bedard's best asset is his shot but he doesn't use it enough yet. He is also proving to be a better playmaker than we thought when he was playing for the Regina Pats in his draft year. These skills combined should help him in his quest to become an elite player. Playing on this Canada team might have helped him reach a new level. Accepting passes from some of the aforementioned stars may get him better looks where he can get shots off from high-danger areas. His brilliant passing wouldn't go to waste as much as it does playing with Chicago on that team either. There are a lot of guys on that team who can snipe with the best of them. Next year, the NHL will participate in the Winter Olympic Games in Italy. You better believe that Connor Bedard is near the top of the list of Canadians who didn't make the 4-Nations roster and who will play in the Olympics. He needs to play well from now until the rosters are selected and he's been on a tear lately. The tools are there for him to become an all-time great Team Canada member. It didn't happen for him in this tournament but it will sooner than later. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/] team site to stay updated on the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-newshttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-dayhttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/game-day] coverage, player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/playershttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/players], and more.
