From a marketing standpoint, the Blackhawks have been Connor Bedard’s team for three years already.
He became the face of the franchise the moment he was drafted in June 2023 — perhaps even dating back a month further, to the moment the Hawks won the draft lottery in May 2023. Nothing about his performance since has changed that fact.
Now, the Hawks are officially Bedard’s team — in the locker room, in the NHL’s roster logs and more.
The Hawks named the 21-year-old star the 37th captain in franchise history Tuesday, following most recently Jonathan Toews (2008-2023) and Nick Foligno (2024-2026). He becomes the youngest captain in the league.
“Being named captain of the Blackhawks is an unbelievable honor and something I’m truly humbled by,” Bedard said in a statement. “The captains who have come before me have left an incredible legacy. To now have the opportunity to carry that tradition forward is something I don’t take lightly.
“I’m grateful to the organization and my teammates for putting their trust in me to lead this team. We’re building something really special here, and I’m committed to making the entire Blackhawks organization and our fans proud.”
The announcement was hardly surprising. The progression from Foligno’s bridge captaincy to Bedard’s long-term captaincy always seemed preordained, and that’s exactly how it played out — just with a few months separating their tenures.
Bedard openly discussed his readiness to wear the “C” during exit interviews last April, further cementing the inevitability.
It’s common in the modern NHL for teams’ best players to also serve as their captains, regardless of age. Foligno represented an exception to that trend. Bedard fits it perfectly, falling in with the likes of Connor McDavid (Oilers), Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs), Nick Suzuki (Canadiens) and Clayton Keller (Mammoth).
Bedard’s production has cemented his cornerstone status, even if frustratingly little team success has come from it to so far. He has 203 points in 219 games over his first three seasons, matching Patrick Kane’s production in his first 219 games. No other Hawk has tallied more than 122 points over the last three seasons combined.
Bedard checked another prerequisite box by signing a five-year contract this summer. General manager Kyle Davidson pushed Bedard to accept a medium-length term to send a message about his commitment to the organization. That idea resonated with Bedard, and he accepted.
Maturity and leadership skills still matter, though, even if they’re not the sole determining factors of captaincy the way they might’ve been decades ago.
And in that regard, Bedard’s growth — particularly over the last 12 months — checked the final box to demonstrate he’s ready for the captaincy. He revealed a more comfortable, outspoken and occasionally funny side of himself last season, allowing his genuine personality and his public persona to become one.
“When you first get [into the NHL], you’re not paranoid, but you don’t want to say something that might rub people the wrong way or make me look bad,” Bedard told the Sun-Times last October.
“Obviously I don’t want to look bad, but I don’t really care too much about what some people think. And I think it’s good for the fans if we can show a little bit of who we are, in some ways.”
Behind closed doors, he has proven to peers he’s ready to handle the pressure accompanying this role and, in doing so, guide the team out of its long, painful rebuild.
“He’s the perfect guy for [the captaincy],” Ryan Greene said in April. “He cares about his teammates and checks in on everybody all the time. He’s our guy. So he’s leading the way in a lot of different ways. I think he’s more than ready.”
Said Ryan Donato: “I’ve seen how [Connor has] changed as a person and player, and he’s shown everybody in this organization — including me — that he knows what it takes to win. He’s put in the work. He’s dedicated. And obviously he’s the franchise player.”
Following Tuesday’s announcement, the Bedard intrigue shifts to his rehab from left shoulder surgery in July. It seems to be progressing nicely, as he has been skating on his own and doing some light shooting for the past week or two.
This story will be updated.