Connor Bedard: Still 19, Already Carrying the Weight of a Franchise
You know, sometimes we get so caught up in the hype, the stats, and the pressure that we forget one simple thing: Connor Bedard is just 19 years old. Nineteen. It’s wild when you think about it, because the kid plays with a maturity and intensity that make you think he’s been in the NHL for years. But let’s slow down for a second and take in the bigger picture.
This season, despite playing on a struggling Chicago Blackhawks team, Bedard still managed to shine. I mean, hands down the best player on the ice night after night. But of course, that kind of spotlight comes with critics. You know how it goes—he makes a mistake, and suddenly people forget he’s a teenager playing against grown men. Not only that, he was still the fourth-youngest player in the league when the 2024–25 season kicked off. Think about that.
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Jimmy Waite, the Blackhawks’ goalie coach who sees Bedard up close every day, hit the nail on the head during an interview recently. He said, “People forget he’s 19. He’s made big strides this year. He’s better in his own zone, and nobody outworks him.” That’s coming from someone who knows what effort looks like. Sure, he’s made some mistakes—who doesn’t? But not one of those missteps has come from a lack of hustle.
And let’s not pretend the situation around him has made things any easier. The Hawks offloaded veteran guys like Seth Jones, Taylor Hall, and Petr Mrazek. It was all part of a rebuild, bringing in fresh young talent. But rebuilding a team means you're constantly battling through losses, and it’s easy for that to wear on a young player’s confidence. Waite acknowledged that too, saying you don’t want losing to become a habit or a comfort zone.
The good news? There’s light at the end of the tunnel. Chicago’s top draft picks and college prospects are starting to step in. There’s finally a sense that things are turning around, and Bedard is going to be at the heart of it all. But for him to really take the next step, he needs support—not just from management, but from fans too.
This summer will be big for him. Waite mentioned Bedard needs to get stronger, faster, tougher on the puck. That’s just the reality of the NHL grind. But you can’t teach work ethic, and Bedard’s got that in spades. He’s used to dominating, and now he’s figuring out how to do that at the highest level.
So yeah, maybe he isn’t perfect. But let’s keep it real—he’s 19 and already carrying the weight of a franchise with grit, talent, and a relentless drive to get better. If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.
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