Blackhawks star Connor Bedard left out of NHL's 4 Nations tournament
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Connor Bedard looks on against the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 5. Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard's star may be shrinking, thanks to a sophomore season slump and a new all-star format for the NHL.
The big picture: The 'Hawks second-year player was left off the Canadian roster for the league's inaugural midseason tournament called 4 Nations Face-Off, which begins Wednesday.
- Instead of an NHL All-Star Game, top stars from the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden will face off.
Why it matters: The 4 Nations Face-Off is meant to herald the NHL's return to the Winter Olympics — but, indirectly, the tournament is also a natural experiment with a potential solution to fans losing interest in All-Star games.
- Teuvo Teräväinen will be the sole representative of the Blackhawks, playing for his home country of Finland.
State of play: Teams are treating the tournament as a warm-up for Milano Cortina 2026, the first Winter Olympics since 2014 in which NHL players will compete.
Zoom out: The snub is concerning for Blackhawks fans and the organization. Bedard was considered a "generational player" when he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2023.
- Last year, he won the Calder Trophy (NHL's best rookie award).
Yes, but: His second season started slow. He had a long goal drought and his subpar defense continues to be a liability for the underachieving 'Hawks, who are languishing in the basement of the Central division, again.
Context: Canadian team general manager Don Sweeney explained Bedard just isn't ready to push the more experienced players on their roster, but stopped short of saying he wouldn't be considered for the Olympic team.
- "We'll have tough decisions to make moving forward," Sweeney said. "I do believe the next wave of generational players that we have in Canada are going to make these decisions equally as hard as they were today."
Reality check: Canadian hockey has a long history of leaving young players off their roster, including Sidney Crosby in 2006.
The other side: The NHL's tournament, which features only four of the world's top seven countries, won't feature all of the world's best players.
- The league is following an international sporting ban on Russian participation, meaning aces like Kirill Kaprizov and Andrei Vasilevskiy won't be on the ice. Aging Russian greats Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin are also running out of chances to play for their nation.
What's next: The NHL isn't abandoning its All-Star Game altogether. It's scheduled to return in 2026.