Blackhawks center Connor Bedard becomes second-youngest captain in franchise history

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CHICAGO (AP) — Connor Bedard has been the central figure for Chicago since he was selected by the Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft.

A single capital “C” had been heading toward the front of his No. 98 jersey for a while.

Bedard was named the 37th captain of the Blackhawks on Tuesday, capping an eventful offseason that included a new contract and another shoulder injury. At 21 years, 60 days, he is the second-youngest captain in the history of the Original Six franchise behind Jonathan Toews.

“It's an incredible honor, something I don't take lightly,” Bedard said.

Chicago had gone without a captain since trading Nick Foligno to Minnesota in March. Foligno served as a mentor for Bedard and a wave of prospects that the Blackhawks hope will lead the team back into playoff contention.

Bedard said Foligno called him on Monday night and helped him pick out his clothes for Tuesday's press conference.

“My leadership style won't be the exact same as his, but just getting to kind of see how he handled a lot of the responsibilities and stuff,” Bedard said, “and not just him, we had so many guys in our room that I can look at. But he for sure had a big impact on myself and a lot of our young players.”

The long-expected move comes after Bedard agreed to a $75 million, five-year contract in July. Bedard is also recovering from left shoulder surgery on July 8.

Bedard, who missed 12 games after he hurt his right shoulder on Dec. 12, is expected to miss the start of the season after getting hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in western Canada.

“I'm on the ice doing kind of most of everything and just working in a bit more each day,” Bedard said. “Timeline-wise, I don't really know. It's kind of see as it progresses. But feeling good and just kind of doing everything I can to, like I said, get back as soon as possible.”

Bedard was 18 when he made his highly anticipated NHL debut in 2023. He was heralded as the new face of the Blackhawks, and he won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year. He continued his steady improvement in his third season, setting career highs of 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.

General manager Kyle Davidson called Bedard “a natural-born leader.”

“He loves the game, he loves this city, he wants to be a leader of a group that brings winning back to Chicago,” Davidson said, “and we know he'll continue to strive to raise the bar for his teammates in how they work every day and how the show up in the city and in the community.”

Chicago went 29-39-14 last year, an 11-point improvement from the previous season and still nowhere near playoff contention. The franchise has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the past three years.

The Blackhawks are seeking their first postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format in the pandemic-affected 2019-20 season.

“The mindset is to win and to get back into the playoffs,” Bedard said. “This city and fan base is used to winning, and we want to bring that back.”

Chicago acquired defenseman Bo Byram in a June trade with Buffalo, and Patrick Kane returned to his first NHL home when he signed a $16 million, two-year contract in free agency. Kane and veteran forward Tyler Bertuzzi will serve as the alternate captains.

Kane, who turns 38 in November, said naming Bedard captain was a great decision.

“It’s been a really, really fun group to be around, and very high vibes, good vibes around everyone, and he’s the leader of that, right?” Kane said. “He leads the charge.”

Chicago is the second team with a vacancy to name a captain in as many days, following the New York Islanders giving the role to veteran center Bo Horvat. The Islanders opted for Horvat over 19-year-old face of the franchise and 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer, who coach Peter DeBoer did say was considered among several possibilities.

“It shows you how special a kid he is that he was a consideration,” DeBoer said Monday.

San Jose is one of several teams without a captain and has yet to make a decision whether to put 20-year-old Macklin Celebrini into that role.

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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