Connor Bedard talks new Blackhawks contract, life in the NHL on Green Zone

Former Regina Pat, Connor Bedard, just signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, coming off a season that saw him score 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.

Bedard joined The Green Zone to chat with Jamie Nye about his new deal, adjusting to life in the NHL and his memories of riding the bus as a member of the Pats.

Read more:

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Listen to the full interview, or read the transcript below:

The following questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

JAMIE NYE: Connor Bedard joining us, fresh off a new contract extension. Your other North Vancouver guy (Macklin Celebrini) also just got a contract extension. So, where do new multimillionaires go? Do you go to the Elisa tonight, or where’s the steakhouse in Vancouver to head to?

CONNOR BEDARD: There’s a lot of good options, for sure. I mean, he’ll probably have to get the bill at the most recent dinner we get, but you know we’re definitely both pretty happy about how things ended up and I was extremely happy for Mac to get that done, obviously he deserves it more. It’s an exciting day for sure.

I loved your honesty, Connor, because you were asked about making that much money, because some players will try to avoid it a little bit. But does it sink in, that okay, wow, I have that much money coming to my bank account this coming season?

BEDARD: I mean, you’re not thinking about it, like we’re just so lucky. You play hockey your whole life just for fun and your parents are paying to play. And then you’re just playing for fun, and you never think about that much. I mean, just to get to play in the NHL and have the life I do – it’s a dream and something that I’m extremely grateful for. And then, obviously, you get that life-changing money, and your kids’ kids are gonna benefit. We’re very fortunate people, what we get to do and how we get treated in that sense.

I remember talking to you when you first joined the Pats, you were like 15, and we talked about idols, and you mentioned Patrick Kane right away, and here you are being able to play with him this season when you’re back from the shoulder injury. What’s that like to go, “Okay, I get to play with a boyhood idol here in Chicago, and maybe on the same power play and maybe on the same line.”?

BEDARD: It’s special, for sure. For us growing up, my age group, it was always you know Sid, Ovechkin, Kane, Toews, those guys, just watching them and wanting to be like them. And then, obviously when I got drafted to Chicago, the first name that comes up is is Kane – Kane and Toews. Just to get that opportunity now to learn from him and have that juice in the building with him back and all the legacy stuff, just get to play with one of the best players ever – whether he’s playing with me or playing with anyone, he’s going to make us a lot better and make make the game easier for whoever that is – it’s just a big boost for our group.

You took on his heartbreak celebration, didn’t you, in the World Juniors?

BEDARD: Yeah, I guess so. His was probably a little smoother, so I’ll have to get him to maybe give me a couple tips. Hopefully, I’ll pull that one out again one day in the playoffs.

What have the first three years been like? How big of a reality check was it being a top-rated kid and, of course, when you move up in age group, you’re moving up to like two, three years older than you. Then you jump to the NHL, and these guys are 32, 35. They’ve been in the league for 15 years. What were some of those biggest adjustments that you’re still working on to improve going into year four?

BEDARD: No one’s ever satisfied or 100 per cent happy with everything. You always want to be getting better, and you’re adjusting the lifestyle, too. You’re treated like a man, and just getting used to that part. It’s been everything and more that I could have asked for, just try to soak in every moment and try to be the best I can be. We have such a great group of guys, so it’s just exciting to get to continue doing that every day and striving to towards winning.

Last off-season, you made the decision to not go to the world championships and work on biomechanics and those types of things. What was it about those first two years that you had a light bulb moment, thinking “I need a lot more work in these areas.” And what was that off-season like? Because at the start of this past season, you got off on a heater.

BEDARD: Honestly, I think it was more doing less than anything. You play so many games. When everyone’s at their best, you’re pretty good. When I’m at my best, it’s obviously not easy, but the game is a lot easier, and you want to try to be as consistent as you can in that sense. And that’s still something where you’re trying to get better at it every year., is how can you be close to 100 per cent as much as possible? And I think that was something that I kind of had to get better with a little bit, and that’s part of playing and learning.

I’m curious about your current rehab because of the dumb bad luck a few weeks ago with the shoulder injury. All the stories we’ve been hearing of Connor Bedard are how much of an animal you are to try to get back on the ice as as quickly as possible. How much are you trying to learn patience in in your rehab, Connor? To go, “Okay, I need to be 100 per cent or close to it before I actually step on the ice,” even though the drive will be there as a leader of the Blackhawks and the young face to try to get back as soon as possible. How do you balance those two things?

BEDARD: For me, it’s just doing everything I can to get back as early as possible. And you know that the people that you’re working with and the people that end up making that final decision on allowing you to play are going to do what’s in your best interest safety-wise. For me and everyone that goes through something like this, it’s “what can I do if one thing gives you two extra days and another thing gives you another two?” It’s just kind of trying to stacking up time of how quickly can you arrive to a point where they feel comfortable with getting you back out there? There’s there’s a timeline, but whatever you can do to try to help maybe speed that up a bit, I’m going to do that for sure.

Who are those some of those guys you lean on? I know some of the younger guys will text you, like Gavin (McKenna) getting picked first overall, like you were, he’ll ask Celebrini and yourself for some advice. But are there players that you still try to lean on for advice because you still, after all, are only 20 years old and in only year three in your NHL career?

BEDARD: I think all your teammates – all your former teammates. But at the end of the day, you know, you can’t go back and change it. If I could, I might not have skated that day or whatever, but you know that’s not the reality. And so, just trying to be positive and still enjoy the process of the rehab, as annoying as it is, it’s what you’re dealing with. So, I think it’s more about just approaching it with the right mindset, because obviously you can easily be negative about it, but that’s kind of a waste of energy.

Let’s focus in on where the Blackhawks are and where they’re going. How do you feel when you see them go and bring back Patrick Kane, who still has gas left in the tank? They go make that trade for Bowen Byram after maybe a frustrating season, off the ice. How much are you starting to see the growth and the potential in this organization to commit to a five-year contract?

BEDARD: Yeah, I don’t think that was ever a question, really. I mean, you look at teams that have won the cup, what they’ve all been through. Like Florida was bad for how long, you know? So you look at those examples and understand the trajectory of it all. But you always saw the vision and, especially last year, I think we got a lot younger, and how many guys came in and made an impact right away, we’re all just going to keep getting better, so it’s going to be fun.

Does it get exciting when you start to see the organization make moves the Bowen Byram deal? That was an aggressive push to to improve some aspects of the Blackhawks game. How much do you look at a move like that and get excited a little bit about where the organization views itself in the rebuild?

BEDARD: Yeah, I was fired up when we made that deal. I think when you’re picking fourth, this draft specifically was pretty defence heavy, I found. You hope you get a Bowen Byrum, you know? Just to get him right now and how great of a player he is, and I think it’s his motivation, too. He hasn’t had the chance to be that guy, you know? He’s been behind two of the top five defencemen in the league, where you’re probably not taking their spot. So, he’s going come in and prove that he is that guy. And you know, I’m excited for him, but for our team, it’s such a big add, and he’s going to make us all better.

How much do you have that idea of the Olympics in three and a half years, in your mind? And, of course, another international tournament, the World Cup of hockey in a year and a half? How much is that on the goal board, so to speak, for Connor Bedard?

BEDARD: When the time comes, you want to do everything you can to be on it. But I’m trying to help the Blackhawks win hockey games. That’s my only goal right now. If you play well and do what you’re supposed to do, then those other things come. And then at that time, for those two or three weeks, you’re solely focused on helping Team Canada win. But for me right now, it’s just trying to improve as a player and do what I can to help us win, and you know those things are a couple years down the road. So, we’ll see when we get there.

I’m just curious, it’s nice to have you on Regina and Saskatchewan Radio again. Are there any spots you miss in Regina to go grab a snack or anything, Connor?

BEDARD: Yeah, I miss it for sure, it was a fun time. I still talk to a lot of guys that I played with about it, and I’d say I miss the bus a lot. You know, just sitting on that thing for days on end with the guys, just shooting it. Everyone talks about junior and the memories from that, and I’m no different, I think. I loved my time there and made a lot of a lot of good friends, so I’m very grateful for that.

You miss the bus, but is that first charter flight on the NHL an eye-opening experience for a rookie?

BEDARD: I mean, I’ll take the charter for sure over the bus, but you miss the bus. We get it pretty good for sure.