- NHL.com floats Patrick Kane as a candidate to wear the C in Chicago
- Connor Bedard is out until November after left shoulder surgery
- Read below for what Bedard said about becoming Blackhawks captain
The Blackhawks captaincy was supposed to be a formality.
Connor Bedard signs his extension, Chicago hands him the C, everybody moves on. That is not where things stand heading into 2026-27. NHL.com’s Tracey Myers listed the captaincy as one of the three biggest questions facing the Blackhawks this season, and the name she raised alongside Bedard’s was Patrick Kane.
Bedard’s timeline explains most of it. He had surgery on his left shoulder after getting hurt at a practice in Vancouver on July 2 and is not expected back until November. Somebody else is wearing a letter through the first six weeks of the season no matter what Chicago decides.
Kane fits that gap better than anyone. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal on July 23 to come back to the team he played 16 seasons for, and he owns three Stanley Cup rings from his first run in Chicago in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Bedard has already fielded the captaincy question himself. He was asked about it on July 20, two days after putting pen to a five-year, $75 million extension.
“It would be special for sure. Just getting to play for the Blackhawks in general, without any of that, is the best thing in the world. If I [were] to become a captain, it would be so special, and something I wouldn’t take for granted for a second.”
He added that there are plenty of guys in that room who could end up wearing it. Watch the full media availability:
General manager Kyle Davidson spoke about Kane’s role the day after the signing, and he went out of his way to separate the sentiment from the hockey.
“Nostalgia and the return are very nice aspects of it, but it’s not the core reason. We’re bringing him in to make our team better, which we firmly believe he does do.”
Here’s Kane’s first media availability since coming back:
Chicago has been without a captain since March, when the club traded Nick Foligno to Minnesota at the deadline. Bedard wore an A the rest of the way and finished the season with 75 points in 69 games.
Handing Kane the C for a year or two would not shut any doors. Bedard is 21 and just committed the next five years of his career to the franchise, so he is going to get the letter eventually.
Davidson’s call is whether that C waits until November or goes on Kane’s sweater in September.
