The Chicago Blackhawks named Connor Bedard captain on Tuesday.
Bedard, 21, is the second-youngest captain in franchise history. Jonathan Toews was 20 when he received the honor.
"It's an incredible honor," Bedard said of becoming the franchise's 37th captain. "[It's] something I don't take lightly."
Chicago won the NHL draft lottery and selected Bedard No. 1 in 2023, its first No. 1 pick since Patrick Kane in 2007. The Canadian-born center immediately became the centerpiece of the team's rebuild -- which is expected to accelerate this season, especially after re-signing Kane this summer. The Blackhawks have made the playoffs just once since 2017, and that was a first-round exit during the COVID-19 bubble after making it through the qualifying round.
Bedard is expected to miss the beginning of this season after sustaining a shoulder injury during offseason workouts in Vancouver. After undergoing surgery, Bedard is expected to return around November.
"I'm on the ice doing kind of most of everything and just working in a bit more each day," Bedard said. "Timeline-wise, I don't really know. It's kind of see as it progresses. But feeling good and just kind of doing everything I can to, like I said, get back as soon as possible."
In announcing the decision, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson referred to Bedard "a natural-born leader."
"My leadership style won't be the exact same as his, but just getting to kind of see how he handled a lot of the responsibilities and stuff," Bedard said, referring to Nick Foligno, Chicago's former captain, who was traded to the Minnesota Wild in March. "And not just him, we had so many guys in our room that I can look at. But he, for sure, had a big impact on myself and a lot of our young players."
The Blackhawks made a major commitment to Bedard this summer, inking him to a massive second contract: five years, $75 million, with a $15 million average-annual value.
Bedard has led Chicago in points in each of his three seasons so far, despite adversity such as a broken jaw as a rookie. Bedard still won the Calder Trophy that season.
He reached 200 career points on April 6, becoming the first Blackhawk ever to reach 200 at age 20 or younger and only the 13th NHL player to accomplish the feat.
"The mindset is to win and to get back into the playoffs," Bedard said. "This city and fan base is used to winning, and we want to bring that back."
Davidson is confident Bedard can lead that lead that resurgence.
"He loves the game, he loves this city, he wants to be a leader of a group that brings winning back to Chicago," Davidson said. "And we know he'll continue to strive to raise the bar for his teammates in how they work every day and how the show up in the city and in the community."
