Connor Bedard is officially the 37th captain in Chicago Blackhawks history, taking the ‘C’ for his fourth NHL season, and that’s huge for the rebuild! But hold up, the dude is expected to start the 2026-27 campaign on injured reserve after *another* shoulder surgery this offseason. Talk about a brutal start to leading the squad.
The ‘C’ Is Here, But So Is the Pain
Seriously, can this guy catch a break? The Blackhawks just handed Bedard the ‘C’, the ultimate sign of trust and the next step in their whole rebuild strategy, and he’s gonna kick off his captaincy from the sidelines. This news drops right after Chicago locked him down with a massive five-year, $15 million AAV deal that keeps him rocking the red through the 2030-31 campaign. That’s a lot of faith, and a lot of cash, riding on a guy who’s already got injury woes before the puck even drops for his first game as captain.
It’s a big moment for the franchise too. Bedard is only the third player to wear the ‘C’ for Chicago since Jonathan Toews took over in 2008. Toews, man, he led them to three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015. That’s some legendary shoes to fill! Nick Foligno had the role most recently for two seasons, with Bedard even serving as an alternate to him in 2025-26 before Foligno got traded to Minnesota in March. The stage is set, the history is there, but Bedard’s gonna be watching from the IR instead of leading from the ice.
Injury Bug Bites Again for Bedard
This isn’t Bedard’s first rodeo with the injury bug, and that’s the real gut punch here. Drafted first overall in 2023, he absolutely showed flashes of brilliance early, even winning the Calder Trophy despite breaking his jaw midway through his rookie 2023-24 campaign. The kid’s a warrior, no doubt. Then, in his third season (2025-26), he finally took a huge step forward, hitting career highs with 30 goals, 45 assists, and 75 points. But guess what? He missed 12 games that season too, with a *right* shoulder injury. And now, after suffering *another* shoulder injury practicing in July, he’s set to miss more time to start this 2026-27 season. The Hawks are saying he’ll be back in November, but man, you have to wonder about the long-term here.
The Blackhawks haven’t exactly been tearing it up either, finishing at the bottom of the Central Division in all three of Bedard’s seasons so far. This offseason, they brought in some help, acquiring and extending defenseman Bowen Byram and reuniting with veteran winger Patrick Kane. The hope was clear: these moves, plus Bedard leading, would finally push them for their first postseason run since 2020. But with their brand new captain on the shelf, they’ll have to find a way to contend without him for a bit. It’s a huge test for the team, and a frustrating start for their new leader.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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