Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard is drawing high praise from head coach Jeff Blashill amid a strong start to his season.
The 20-year-old centre has four goals and six points in five games for the 2-2-1 Blackhawks as he plays out the third and final season of his entry-level contract.
“I can’t say enough good things about him as a person, his competitiveness, his want to be a great player,” Blashill told reporters Friday. “He wants to win more than anything else. He wants to win more than score points, he wants to win more than getting accolades. He just wants to win.
“He’s 100 per cent bought in. He accepts coaching, whether privately or in front of the team because he knows that’s part of the importance of building that good culture. We’ve got guys that want to win.”
Bedard and the Blackhawks will host his hometown team, the Vancouver Canucks, on Friday night.
The North Vancouver, BC. native posted 23 goals and 67 points in 82 games last season. It was a slight drop off from his rookie season output, when he had 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games.
Set for restricted free agency next summer, Bedard was selected first overall in 2023.