New Blackhawks captain Connor Bedard shows his passion & commitment in Player’s Tribune letter to Chicago

Connor Bedard was named the 37th captain of the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 15, 2026.

That’s the headline. The hockey world found out that the first overall pick of the 2023 NHL draft, the “generational player” that hasn’t quite lived up to that designation yet, had indeed been named captain ahead of his fourth season with the Blackhawks.

All this was to be expected. Bedard is the new face of the franchise on a team that’s been rebuilding for many years now. He’s the team’s best player, and who they’re building around. He was always going to be the next captain.

But what people on the outside don’t see is how committed he is to this game, this team and to winning. He pinned a letter of sorts to Chicago in The Player’s Tribune after he was named captain that gives some insight into his passion and commitment.

Bedard would sign for free

The first thing Bedard does is confess his absolute love for the game.

“I love this game so much, you know? Like I remember sitting there back in July, about to sign my extension, and thinking to myself, “Man….. I really hope they can’t hear my thoughts right now. Because I’d probably play for free … I’m never not going to feel lucky to put on a pair of hockey skates.”

Obviously, Bedard isn’t going to play for free. He has to make a living, after all, and hockey is that living. But it’s clear Bedard isn’t interested in the clout of being the highest paid hockey player. His five-year contract extension with a $15 average annual value ended up being relatively mild compared to Leo Carlsson’s five-year $18 million deal, or Macklin Celebrini signing for $18.5 million (also a five-year contract).

Bedard seems to understand that he’s just one player. A very elite player, yes. But his interest isn’t necessarily in his stats or his prestige; it’s in surrounding himself with other players that have the same goal as him; to win. He most certainly left some money on the table with his contract extension, but that doesn’t concern Bedard. As he said in his press conference after signing the deal,

“I'm very happy with the amount of money I'm making. It's a lot … I was thinking, like I've said so much, and it's not anything fake. Chicago's kind of really the only place I want to play, and just seeing the growth of our young guys, and just how good of a group we are, you know, in the room, and how tight it is, how much fun we have. So I'm very happy to get this deal signed, and just focus on the team, and excited to get back and get going.”

Young group & their passion to win

Speaking of this tight-knit young group, Bedard seems incredibly committed to his teammates and the current youth movement of the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks haven’t been able to get over the hump for a winning record, but they feel like they’ve been slowly building towards that in many ways. As Bedard put it,

“But for me, last season was different. Obviously it didn’t go how we wanted it to, especially in the second half. But I felt like the energy in our room was something new. For the first time, there was this sense of anger about us falling short. And I think that’s because there were moments last season where we really did put it all together. And where we caught a glimpse of the level that this group is capable of reaching … and the support that Chicago will give us when we get there.”

“So when things ended how they did, with us falling out of the playoff race, we skipped right past disappointment and went straight to being pissed off about it. It’s almost like our entire organization went into the offseason with this chip on its shoulder. Where we all just kind of decided, Nah. That’s enough of that. Let’s go win some damn hockey games.”

The growth of the young group prompted offseason additions such as defenseman Bowen Byram, the legendary Patrick Kane, and depth players such as Cole Smith, Jordan Greenway and D-man Ian Cole. Plus, the Blackhawks secured the arrival of 2023 draft pick Roman Kantserov from Russia, who was the leading goal-scorer in the KHL last season.

These are all steps in the right direction. But the new young captain still credits the group of young players he’s come up in the league with.

“I feel like the main reason we’re about to turn a corner, though, it isn’t a list of transactions or whatever. It’s the energy coming from our locker room. It’s the work our young guys have been putting in, and the growth we’re showing on and off the ice, to prove that we already have a lot of the puzzle pieces. And that the foundation of the next great Blackhawks team is right here in our building. Man........ we’ve got such a tight group. There’s so much trust, and there’s no one I’d rather go into battle with. But I also know we’re hungry for those battles to finally become playoff battles. And I hope that me wearing the C now, it’s just another piece of that puzzle.”

That’s the second time Bedard mentions what a tight group they are. “The foundation of the next great Blackhawks team is right here in our building.” Bedard believes in his teammates and he believes they’re going to win. And I’m sure he imparts that to them every day and every practice. That’s the stuff great captains are made of.

Impact of Nick Foligno as a mentor

Bedard was sure to give credit to Nick Foligno, former captain of the Blackhawks and basically his mentor since entering the NHL. Coming into the league as a first overall pick comes with a lot of pressure. Being the competitor he is, Bedard felt the need to put the team on his back. He admitted this pressure started to take the fun out of things. But Foligno was integral in helping him work through this. Said Bedard,

“But one of the most important things Nick did was show me how to find the right balance. How to balance taking my responsibility to the team and to the city seriously, while also not forgetting how fun it is (and how lucky I am) to get to play this game I love every day. To get to be on a hockey team for our job.”

Bedard also told a story about how Foligno invited all the young guys over to his house one night. After dinner, Foligno’s kids set up a trivia game. Bedard and his teammates thought it was some kind of “team-building” exercise their elder captain had planned. But really it was just a bunch of trivia questions from Foligno’s kids about themselves. It turned out to be all about the kids making sure the players were listening to them when they talked.

It was interesting to get Bedard’s perspective on this random evening with his captain and his teammates.

“And something about that night just stands out to me, for some reason, as an example of what it means to be a captain. How we all thought that Nick was about to have us do this big team-building thing … and then by the time we were ready for it, it turned out we’d already done it. Hanging out, having dinner, learning about his kids, that was The Thing.”

“And I actually think that’s kind of how hockey is in general. Where so many times it’s the thing before the thing that ends up being what matters. The pass before the pass. The shift before the shift. The practice before the game. The offseason before the season.”

“The thing before the thing.” That sounds a little silly, doesn’t it? But this is actually a very insightful concept coming from a 21-year-old. Bedard understands that it’s all about the little things. Getting up and going to practice every day. Working out at the gym. Eating right. Having a set routine. Going through the reps over and over. Building relationships with your teammates.

All those little things add up over time. And that’s eventually what gives you the tools to be great. To win championships.  

Bedard’s belief in winning

Bedard continued to ponder how the little things are what counts, and how that translates to him being a good captain.

“And when I think about what kind of captain I want to be, that’s something I’ll try to keep in mind. Because I know we might not get all the results we want right away. We might not be lifting the Cup in June. But I also know we have a group here that’s in it for the long haul……… and we’re going to keep putting in work, and keep pushing each other, and keep repping this city. And eventually that’ll end up being what matters.”

Are you ready to run through a brick wall yet?! Bedard seems to comprehend what it takes to motivate himself and his teammates. He’s an elite player, and that comes with its own pressure to perform. But he also sounds fully committed to leading the way for his teammates as well as himself, and bringing this Blackhawks’ franchise back to the glory days of the past. Bedard continued,  

“And of course the other side of that balance is I know I do have this big responsibility, which is to help bring the Blackhawks franchise back to where it belongs. Playing tough, winning hockey. Making deep playoff runs. And most importantly — and I can promise you it’ll happen — competing for Stanley Cups.” 

“We’re going to get there.”

Bedard just made a promise to the city of Chicago. He didn’t say, “I hope we make the playoffs” or “Maybe we’ll be contenders soon.”

While he didn’t give a timeline, he said, “I can promise you it’ll happen … we’re going to get there.”

If the young captain believes, he’s gonna pull a lot of people along with him. That’s what great captains do. And together they will accomplish great things. But it all has to start with the little things, and putting in the work every single day. Which is what makes Bedard’s final words of his letter so appropriate.

“Let’s go win some damn hockey games.”

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