Center has 1st NHL hat trick, raising his game for improving Blackhawks
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CHICAGO — Connor Bedard was fresh off the first hat trick of his NHL career, the latest great performance by the Chicago Blackhawks center.
Bedard is all about the Blackhawks, but thoughts on possibly representing Canada in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in February are always there.
“Of course, if that’s something that I get to do, that would be unbelievable, and I would do anything to be on that team,” the center said after Chicago’s 7-3 win against the Ottawa Senators at United Center on Tuesday. “But I’m trying to take things day by day and have fun playing in the NHL and trying to grow as a team and win hockey games and do everything I can to play my best hockey. In the end, that’ll be what puts me in a spot to make it.”
Indeed, if Bedard keeps up at this pace, it’ll be hard not to give him an Olympic nod. He leads the Blackhawks with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 10 games. At 20 years, 103 days, Bedard became the third-youngest player in Chicago history to complete a hat trick, behind Hockey Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick (19 years, 340 days on Dec. 23, 1989) and Alex DeBrincat (19 years, 344 days on Nov. 27, 2017).
“I went on the ice after his hat trick and there were still some hats coming in, Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier said. “It was a cool experience.
“He’s fun to watch. He’s an amazing human being also, so we’re all proud of him and that’s it. He keeps developing and getting better. It’s great to see.”
It has been a great start for Bedard and Chicago (5-3-2), 5-1-1 in its past seven games; its next test will come against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, CHSN).
Bedard took a different approach to his offseason training, still working hard but not overworking. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft chose not to play for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship and focused on his game, especially his skating, which he mainly improved with off-ice work.
It looks like his offseason decisions are paying off; he has looked faster, quicker, and his wrist shot is still lethal.
OTT@CHI: Bedard scores three goals vs. Senators
“He is elite,” Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno said of Bedard. “He’s understanding and becoming that player. All the while, he’s doing things on the other side of the puck, too.
“I was thrilled for him. Everyone remembers, well, some guys are lucky enough to get their first hat trick. When you do, it’s an awesome feeling. I was pumped for him. He’s a guy that, not likes, but loves to score goals. You could see on his face how pumped up he was. If we get that Connor Bedard every night, it’s going to be fun.”
Chicago has gotten that Bedard often through the first 10 games. He hasn’t gone more than one game without a point. On Tuesday, he had his third four-point game in the NHL, tying Roenick for the third-most by a Blackhawks player before the age of 21. Only Bobby Hull (five) and Denis Savard (four) had more. Bedard also had three assists in an 8-3 win at the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 15.
Bedard seems happier, lighter in his third NHL season and it’s showing in his play. So is this the most fun he has had in his time in Chicago?
“Personally, coming into the year, maybe a little better mindset and just knowing the League and being a little more relaxed,” he said. “It’s easy to say that after a hat trick and a win, but our group is super motivated and loves each other, and it’s been a lot of fun so far. We just want to keep building that and keep having a good product on the ice.”
The Blackhawks getting better results certainly helps; last season, if they made a mistake, it snowballed into more mistakes, more opposing goals, more frustration. So far this season, they’re keeping their composure and finding solutions.
And they’re getting great individual performances all around, led by Bedard.
“I’ve said this already this year, (Connor) wants to win more than he wants to score, he wants to win more than he wants the points, he wants to win,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “I would say that’s true with the rest of the group in the locker room. They want to win. They don’t want to be scorers on bad teams.
“It’s nice to see Connor have an offensive night like tonight, to get rewarded for the good two-way play that he’s had, because what I don’t want is not get rewarded, then all of a sudden you start cheating for your offense. That’ll equal not winning. He’s done it the right way, good for him. It’s been great.”
Bedard making Canada’s Olympic team won’t be easy, even given what he’s doing. Those decisions come later and are out of his hands.
“I mean, it’s Canada, there’s so many amazing players, you never know,” he said. “I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m focused on the Hawks. That stuff comes later down the line.”
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