Connor Bedard snub stings Chicago as NHL shuts down for Olympics
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Connor Bedard warms up before a game against the San Jose Sharks. Photo: Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images
The 2026 Winter Olympics will put a freeze on the NHL season to let star players participate in Italy.
The big picture: While the Blackhawks have two players competing, their biggest star, Connor Bedard, was left off the Canadian Olympic roster.
What they're saying: "I don't think the rest of the league knows how good of a two-way winning hockey player Connor has become," said Hawks head coach Jeff Blashill, who defended Bedard when the rosters were announced in January.
- "I don't know why (he was left off). Maybe it's based on previous years. But I don't think they have a full understanding of how good a winning hockey player he is today."
The intrigue: This isn't the first time Bedard has been snubbed by his home country. He was left off last year's roster for the NHL's inaugural 4 Nations Face Off tournament.
- At the time, insiders said it was because he was in the midst of a sophomore slump. This year, analysts point to his injury, which occurred when the rosters were being built.
Reality check: Bedard's injury has healed and he is back on the ice playing all-star-caliber hockey. Before the injury, he was one of the league's leading scorers.
The other side: Canadian hockey is stacked. A ton of veteran stars like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby take up space, which Team Canada management has said is blocking younger stars from making the roster.
Yes, but: Macklin Celebrini, who is 19, is on the roster, yet 20-year-old Bedard is not.
Between the lines: It's probably not helpful to Bedard's cause that the general manager of the Canadian roster is rival St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong, who said Bedard was in the mix for a roster spot up until the last second.
Flashback: Hawks fans have been spoiled in the past as former stars Patrick Kane (USA) and Jonathan Toews (Canada) laced up to skate against each other in past Olympic games, most notably in 2010 and 2014.
State of play: The Hawks' two players on Olympic rosters this year are:
- Teuvo Teravainen: Team Finland
- Adam Gajan (Hawks prospect): Team Slovakia.
The bottom line: Chicago knows Bedard is a full-fledged star, but it's a shame that his home country does not.