Is Connor Bedard A Blackhawk For The Long Haul?

As much as fans can hate the idea sometimes, at the end of the day, professional hockey is a business. Players work tirelessly to hone their craft from a young age, and they’re always “following the money”. Who can blame them? Whether it be for financial reasons or emotional attachments, or another factor, player loyalties change constantly.

Over the past 15 years or so, Blackhawks fans have been spoiled - their biggest stars have put down roots in Chicago, sticking around for the long run. Players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith all come to mind, as they made up the core of the Blackhawks group that won three championships, and were with the team for at least 15 seasons.

However, players and their teams don’t always form such tight bonds for such a long time. In fact, some stints by elite stars can be shockingly brief.

Bedard To The Canucks Confirmed?

Just the idea of top prospect Connor Bedard ever playing in a different sweater is the stuff of Blackhawks fans’ nightmares, but Bedard may not have ruled that idea out eventually. In fact, he recently appeared on the Sekeres and Price Show, a Canucks news podcast, where he said he had no intention of throwing away his old Canucks gear:

“It’s awesome, I’m happy to be on this side of it of course and now it feels different but no, I’ve always loved the Canucks and I wouldn’t throw away that stuff from growing up, those are great memories for sure.”

- Connor Bedard via The Sekeres and Price Show

Bedard is keeping his options open for when his recently-signed contract expires. After growing up in Vancouver as a huge Canucks fan, Bedard was transplanted into Chicago via the NHL Draft. Does he yearn to play for his childhood team? Who knows?

... Not.

Now, we can’t possibly be serious if we think Bedard is going anywhere anytime soon, or if the Blackhawks would ever let that happen. His arrival in Chicago is a culmination of a lifetime of hard work sprinkled with plenty of talent, and he’s a Blackhawk, not a Canuck. This team is building around him with a young core mixed with veteran talent, and the roster is set up for its new superstar to succeed. Don’t worry, Blackhawks fans, just because he appreciates his memories doesn’t mean he’s headed back to Vancouver at his earliest opportunity. Even if he eventually wanted to, GM Kyle Davidson would pull out all the stops to prevent such a horrible fate from happening, as any good executive would do. I wouldn’t plan on Bedard “betraying” the team that drafted him for a long time.

While dubbing our golden boy “the biggest traitor in hockey” may just be a humorous exaggeration, it’s important to remember to not take these years for granted. Bedard is a once-in-a-lifetime talent, and fans should enjoy these years while they last, whether he’s here for five or 20. Here's hoping for the latter.