The Chicago Blackhawks have their 37th captain in team history. Connor Bedard will don the ‘C’ on his sweater entering his fourth season in the NHL.
He’s coming off a big summer, during which he signed a 5-year contract extension worth $75 million. Now he’s the captain, and the Blackhawks are still trying to rise from the cellar of the Western Conference.
“Being named captain of the Blackhawks is an unbelievable honor and something I’m truly humbled by,” Bedard said in a statement.
“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. I’m grateful to the organization and my teammates for putting their trust in me to lead this team. We’re building something really special here, and I’m committed to making the entire Blackhawks organization and our fans proud.”
Bedard leads the 2023 draft class with 203 points in 219 games and wants to keep that pace going as he embarks on being a captain.
New era of hockey in Chicago
Bedard now has the opportunity to play alongside long-time Blackhawk Patrick Kane after the veteran returned this summer.
Kane will get to impart what he knows about the game to help Bedard be the best leader possible.
General manager Kyle Davidson knows that taking Bedard first overall just three years ago meant he was ushering in a new era of hockey in Chicago for Blackhawks fans.
“Connor perfectly embodies what it means to be a Blackhawk,” Davidson said. “From the moment he entered the League, Connor has led by example and has set a remarkable standard for himself while demonstrating his ability to make the players around him better.
“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. We’re proud to have him lead this storied franchise and excited for him to shape the next chapter of Blackhawks hockey.”
Captains before Bedard in Chicago
As the Blackhawks were rebuilding, they’ve seen former forward Nick Foligno step up and lead the team for a few seasons. Foligno came in after Chicago saw Jonathan Toews lead the way from 2008 to 2023.
Chicago has been one of the wagons in the Western Conference before their latest rebuild and now has a star back as their captain like once before.
Back during the 2007-08 season, the Blackhawks rotated 9 assistant captains while Martin Lapointe wore the C on his sweater. Aside from Foligno and Toews, Adrian Aucoin is the most recent captain to serve in two or more seasons.
Bedard will share this honor with Chicago greats like Toews, Chris Chelios, Denis Savard, Darryl Sutter, Stan Mikita, Keith Magnuson, Pierre Pilote, and many more.
Now the Blackhawks are focused on getting camp started and having Bedard pave his way back to being 100% after suffering a left shoulder injury.
The captain has been seen skating and shooting ahead of schedule and may join his teammates sooner than expected for the 2026-27 season.
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Blackhawks Name Superstar Connor Bedard Captain