- Connor Bedard is the 37th captain in Chicago Blackhawks history
- At 21, he is the second-youngest captain the franchise has ever had
- Read below for the statements from Bedard and Kyle Davidson
Connor Bedard has the C in Chicago.
The Blackhawks named the 21-year-old center the 37th captain in franchise history on Tuesday, filling a job that had been open since Nick Foligno was traded last season.
Bedard released a statement through the team about what the letter means to him:
“Being named captain of the Blackhawks is an unbelievable honor and something I’m truly humbled by. The captains who have come before me have left an incredible legacy. To now have the opportunity to carry that tradition forward is something I don’t take lightly.”
That legacy line is doing some work. Jonathan Toews wore the C for 15 seasons and won three Stanley Cups with it, and he is the one name Bedard still trails on the age chart. Toews got the job at 20 years and 79 days in July 2008, which leaves Bedard as the second-youngest captain Chicago has ever had.
General manager Kyle Davidson laid out the reasoning in the same release:
“He has earned the respect of his teammates and the entire organization through the way he prepares, competes and conducts himself every single day, and there is no doubt that he is ready to take on this tremendous responsibility.”
One catch: the new captain will not be in the lineup on opening night. Bedard had surgery on his left shoulder in July, and the four-month recovery window still points to an early-November return. He has been back on the ice in a limited capacity since the start of the month.
Last season was his best one yet. Bedard put up 30 goals, 45 assists and 75 points in 69 games, career highs across the board, and led every Chicago skater in assists, points and game-winning goals. He sits at 203 points in 219 career games since the Blackhawks took him first overall in 2023, and he won the Calder Trophy in year one.
Chicago already committed to him in July with a five-year, $75 million extension that carries a $15 million cap hit through 2030-31. Handing over the C two months later is the rest of that sentence.
He will not be short on help wearing it. Patrick Kane is back in Chicago after signing this summer, and Bowen Byram came over in a trade that cost the Blackhawks the No. 4 overall pick. Bedard just has to get healthy first.
