What to expect from Connor Bedard's leadership as captain

It feels like since the moment Connor Bedard got drafted, the countdown for him to be the Chicago Blackhawks' captain was on.

Three years later, Bedard is officially wearing the "C", and his leadership journey has officially begun.

What does Bedard's style look like?

Bedard is the 37th captain in Blackhawks' history. Throughout that history, the Blackhawks have had many different personalities and leadership styles. Most recently, with 38 year old Nick Foligno, he was known for being more of a vocal leader. He had been captain of two different franchises and is entering his 20th NHL season. Bedard is in a completely different boat, as the 21 year old is now the second-youngest center in franchise history.

Bedard valued Foligno in more ways than one and will draw on his experience with him as he commands the Blackhawks' room in his own way.

But what will that look like? The Blackhawks got a glimpse of his style as his teammates shared their perspectives.

When Ryan Greene was asked in exit interviews about Bedard being a potential captain and his leadership behind the scenes, "You guys don't really see kind of what goes on behind the scenes, but I think he's a perfect guy for it. I think he cares about his teammates, checks in on everybody all the time, and, you know, he's our guy. So, he's leading the way in a lot of different ways, and yeah, I think he's more than ready."

When Bedard spoke at his press conference on Sept. 15 after he was officially introduced as the captain, he was asked how he would describe his leadership style. "I think probably mostly by example. I'm not gonna be the loudest guy in the room or anything. I think I approach the game... I just love hockey and love to work, and practice and be with my teammates and everything. I think that's our whole group already, but if I can just kind of embody that a bit and show that every day, that's something I want to do. And I'm also not afraid of speaking up or anything if I feel like it's necessary, but we have a ton of guys that'll do that at the right times, and I'll get more and more comfortable with that each day and used to it. But it's just kind of, I think, picking your spots when I speak up for me."

Bedard ready to lead the Blackhawks back to contention

The captaincy comes with new expectations. Bedard said in his press conference that the Blackhawks expect to win, and a big part of why Bedard got the "A" last season after Foligno, Jason Dickinson, and Connor Murphy were traded was because of what head coach Jeff Blashill described as his "commitment to winning hockey."

Moving forward, Bedard's mentality will be paramount for his team as they work together to win.

Blashill said at the press conference, "I think the first part of being a captain or a leader on any team... certainly any team I'm a part of is being a great person. And Connor's certainly that. But I also think he embodies a lot. Everything that we want to be about as a group. I think he's got a great work ethic. I think he's an elite competitor, but probably most importantly, he wants to win more than anything else. He wants to win more than personal accolades. He wants to win more than scoring points. And I would say the same is true of both Patrick (Kane) and Tyler (Bertuzzi).

"And so I think we have guys wearing the letter that, first and foremost, more than anything else, they want to win. And we want that type of selflessness amongst our team. And so I just think he has all those attributes that I think the great leaders that I've been around have, and they've been similar. Certainly, every guy does it within their own personalities, but they all kind of share those same attributes. And so, in that sense, super confident of the job Connor's gonna (do), just being who he is. Not being any different, just being who he is."

There's always been that hunger and readiness in Bedard to help get the team back into contention, and the Blackhawks organization has always admired it.

As general manager Kyle Davidson said, "I can't think of a better person to lead us into the next generation of Blackhawks hockey than Connor."

Now, Bedard has the "C," and his new way of leadership will shape the next era of Blackhawks hockey.

Just by "being who he is."

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