We live in a time when we are all looking for the next “thing.” The average attention span is about eight seconds. People stay on a website for only 10 seconds (thanks for reading this if you still are!). And most of us check our phones at least every few minutes, hoping for the sweet satisfaction of a notification.
Perhaps then I’m asking too much if I invite you to cast your minds back two or three years.
In hockey, one name dominated NHL draft headlines, prospect lists, and articles fantasizing about franchise fortunes should they land the next “thing.”
Connor Bedard held the hockey world’s attention, at its fever pitch, for an admirable few months. When the Chicago Blackhawks selected him first overall in 2023, he carried the usual weight of expectations associated with players compared to Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Wayne Gretzky.
Then that attention and focus faded.
Macklin Celebrini became the next “thing” one year later. Players selected after Bedard, like Matvei Michkov, debuted and made their marks. The Blackhawks have struggled mightily and finished as one of the worst teams in the league for the past two seasons.
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Despite posting 128 points in his first two seasons, Bedard lost the “hype” that had accompanied him ever since he came into the public eye. Just like that, as Keyser Söze said in The Usual Suspects, “And like that, he’s gone.”
At least, that’s what many would have you believe. Increasingly, though, there are rumblings that Bedard is poised for a breakout season. But anyone who has watched Bedard closely knows the “hype” shouldn’t have dissipated as much as it did, and that has motivated Bedard even further.
How Bedard Lost the “Hype”
This piece won’t argue that Bedard is better than his reputation, though I do believe that and made that case earlier this year. Instead, let’s explore how the hype surrounding him dissipated so quickly and the fascinating reframing of expectations that has developed.
Everyone expected Bedard to be the next “one.” The comparisons to McDavid and Crosby abounded, and the pressure to restore the Blackhawks franchise to its former glory manifested immediately after general manager Kyle Davidson selected him. Even though excitement inevitably rises whenever discussing any projected first overall selection, the hockey community doesn’t use the word “generational” lightly.
Matthew Schaefer? Not generational.
Celebrini? Not generational.
Juraj Slafkovský? Not generational.
Owen Power? Not generational.
Alexis Lafrenière? Not generational.
Those aren’t my determinations. Those were the consensuses at each players’ draft. You will be hard pressed to find any serious hockey mind who called those players “generational.”
Rightfully so. Overuse dilutes potency. Heck, Nathan MacKinnon didn’t receive the “generational” tag. We use that term sparingly, and clearly some of the best players in the NHL today weren’t graced with the label.
Bedard was, though.
At the time, it was warranted. Bedard posted stratospheric numbers, breaking records in the Western Hockey League and at the World Junior Championship. He made everyone else look like mini-mites.
If we can twist an Uncle Ben quote from Spider-Man to our own use, “With great labels comes great responsibility.” Once Bedard was pegged as generational, only generational performance would satisfy, sustain, and awe the masses.
Obviously, Bedard hasn’t been generational. He’s been good. Very, very good (and we’ll discuss that further). But he hasn’t been generational.
All the hype fell into the gap that arose between the expectation and the delivery.
Bedard Is Good as Bedard
Last week, a good friend of mine texted me the clip below of Bedard training this summer. Take a few seconds to watch (please come back).
@kaivohockey_ Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks 🔥 #kaivohockey #hockeytraining #hockeytiktoks #connorbedard #hockeydrills ♬ original sound – lyrics <3
Not bad, eh? Or how about this one, where Bedard doesn’t lose any speed despite pinpoint stops and turns?
There has been talk of Bedard’s summer training, particularly how he skipped the World Championship to focus solely on improving. Of course, it’s not an NHL game, but he looks pretty flippin’ good in the above segments. And then it hit me:
Bedard wants to be “generational.” Badly.
He knows that he hasn’t delivered on that level yet. But he wants to, and to do that, he must use everything thrown his way as motivation. The talent and work ethic are there. Now it’s time for the willpower.
McDavid isn’t the same player as Crosby. Crosby isn’t the same player as Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin isn’t Gretzky (far from it). But all are generational talents who, while rounding out their games, leaned into what made them the players they are.
Bedard must do the same. Of course, he has to improve, but the same Bedard that earned the “generational” label is the only one who can meet the expectations. What we’ve seen of him this summer looks like he’s doing that.
Talent Doesn’t Disappear Overnight
Even when talented hockey players can’t transition to the NHL, their talent doesn’t evaporate. Usually, there’s an inability to compete at the speed and strength of the NHL.
This isn’t the case for Bedard. He’s shown he can succeed with jaw-dropping goals and even 200-foot defensive plays. A combination of hard work, growth, and time will empower him to show everyone why his name was spoken in the same breath as McDavid and Crosby.
Current NHL greats see and know this. MacKinnon already said he would’ve “killed” to have accomplished what Bedard has when he was his age (from ‘Nathan MacKinnon on Connor Bedard’s stagnant production: ‘I’d have killed for that when I was 19,’ The Athletic, March 11, 2025).
Patrick Kane recently weighed in, saying:
I think we’ve all seen him play enough where he’s got moments throughout the game where he has the puck where he makes plays that you’re like, ‘Okay, not many guys can do that.’ If I was a Blackhawks fan or someone in the organization, that would probably be the last of my worries because…he cares a lot. He wants to be good. That’s half the battle.
There’s a saying that the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. Perhaps Bedard has the same trick up his sleeve.
