Connor Bedard Talks Pressure Of Being The Face Of The Chicago Blackhawks Before Even Playing A Regular Season Game

The NHL season will be officially underway on Tuesday night and all eyes will be on Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard.

The season kicks off with a tripleheader including games between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predator, plus the reigning Stanley Cup champs, Vegas Golden Knights, hosting the Seattle Kraken, a preview of this year's Winter Classic.

But sandwiched between them is the marquee game of the night between the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh

The top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft will make his regular season debut against his childhood idol Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With so much focus and pressure on him, you'd think Bedard would be shaking in his skates, but in an interview with ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show he couldn't have been more composed the day before his highly-anticipated debut.

Bedard talked about having started playing hockey at just 4 or 5 years old and how a hockey career was his biggest passion from an early age.

McAfee then asked Bedard about being the face of his franchise.

Bedard Says He 'Never Really Wanted To Not' Face Pressure Of Being The Face Of A Franchise

"I think obviously sometimes you're going to hear something," Bedard said. "I think if you kind of look at it from the outside it is pressure and stuff, but for me, I'm just doing what I love. From when I was 6 years old to now, it was just kind of the same mindset, I feel fortunate to get to go to the rink every day.

"I just never really wanted to not be in that situation."

The Blackhawks might have a rough year ahead of them, but the rest of the league has been put on notice. If Connor Bedard is this composed ahead of his regular-season debut, imagine how he'll be after he gets his feet wet.

I can’t recall a rookie who seems as composed and comfortable as Bedard does in quite some time. Easily since Austin Matthews made his debut and potted four goals against the Senators. Even Connor McDavid looked like he had his CCM twig in a bit of a vice grip in his first game if I recall correctly.

But Bedard is calm, cool, and collected.

It may take a few years before the Blackhawks are even in the neighborhood of where they were at the peak of the Toews-Kane years, but there's no doubt that Bedard is going to be a solid franchise centerpiece.

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle