CHICAGO — Connor Bedard was one of the first players on the ice on Monday. He also was one of the last to leave when practice was over.
In many ways, Bedard is the same guy as he begins his second season with the Chicago Blackhawks. In some subtle ways, he is a different person and player than he was a year ago.
“I think he’s become — I mean even more so than last year — just a little more comfortable in his skin,” Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno said. “I think he understands the league, and you can see he’s growing as a person and as a player. … I’ve seen a more driven player. I think he wants to better himself for this season and build on last year.”
Bedard is once again Chicago’s most important player ahead of its season opener at Utah on Tuesday night, just like he was as a rookie. His development will be closely watched, but the hype that followed him throughout his first NHL season has dissipated a bit.
That’s just fine with Bedard, who — while seemingly comfortable with the attention — has never seemed to enjoy talking about himself all that much.
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“It feels good for myself, just being maybe a little more relaxed going into it,” Bedard said.
The biggest difference with Bedard, who just turned 19 in July, might have more to do with his surroundings than the young center himself. Looking to help Bedard take his game to another level and start to emerge from its rebuild, Chicago upgraded its roster after it went 23-53-6 last year.
Bedard skated with Teuvo Teravainen and Ilya Mikheyev — two offseason acquisitions — for the team’s last practice before traveling to Utah. He also played alongside Tyler Bertuzzi, who signed with Chicago in free agency, during training camp.
“I think he’s always had that confidence with the puck and making plays,” defenseman Connor Murphy said. “I’d say if anything now he’s got more veterans around him on his line, so I think that can help in different situations in the game and having more of a 200-foot…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/41668058/connor-bedard-feeling-more-relaxed-heading-year-2
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Publish date : 2024-10-07 23:40:06
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