“It’s a special feeling for sure.” | Connor Bedard Pregame 11.5.25

“It’s a special feeling for sure.” | Connor Bedard Pregame 11.5.25

Someone asked about the season you’re having and if you expected this kind of early season performance. Yeah, I uh I think our whole team is playing pretty well and um you know I’m always going to have confidence in my ability and my game and um you know I think there’s there’s areas to get better which is which is the exciting part. So um just game by game and and try to keep getting better. Where do you think you’ve improved the most since last year? Um I don’t know. I think, you know, my overall game has has taken a bit of a step. I feel like, uh, you know, more, I don’t know, comfortable in in some areas and stuff. So, um, I think just overall, I feel like I’ve become a better player, but, uh, obviously it’s super early, so just keep trying to build on that. When you have this kind of start, um, people are already talking about the possibility of you playing for Team Canada at the Olympics. What’s your thoughts on that? Um, yeah, not not much thought really. I think uh you know I’m just trying to focus on on what we’re doing here and and trying to be the best player I can be and and help our team win and um you know obviously if if that opportunity comes that would be you know unbelievable and and a dream but um you know all I can do is focus on uh you know each each day each game each practice keep trying to be the best player I can be and and then uh that gives me the best chance possible. Not in the back of your mind a little bit though. Um I don’t know I wouldn’t say too much. Um, you know, I guess you hear stuff or get asked about it like this or or some where it kind of comes to your mind, but um, you know, like I said, I’m just trying to do what I can to help us win and and that gives me the best chance. And but there’s so many so many great players in in Canada and it’s it’s such a good team. So um, you know, whoever ends up on it, it’s going to be a great team and and I obviously would, you know, be so um so pumped to be a part of that. But yeah, it’s it’s down the line. So I try not to think about it. I know it’s a long season, but still coming back here and playing again. Yeah, it’s it’s fun to get to, you know, come home and um you know, play in front of, you know, I I I’ve I’ve been given so much from from the city and um you know, growing up here and my whole minor hockey was was through here and um so I’m just grateful for you know, everything that you know, my my hometown’s given me and um so it’s fun to get to get to come back, play here, and uh you know, see some kids, you know, wear my jersey or uh jerseys that I played at you know, growing up, minor hockey. So, uh, it’s it’s a special feeling for sure and, you know, I’m looking forward to it. You still haven’t scored against them. What’s going on to get off the schneide? I know. I’m saving it. Saving it. So, hopefully, uh, hopefully tonight, but, uh, yeah, I know they’ve, uh, they’ve played us well, uh, lately. So, uh, hopefully I’m hopefully that just means I’m due and I can get a couple tonight. Kyle Davidson said, “This is the best hockey he’s ever seen you play.” What does that mean to be your boss for you? Uh, that’s great. But, uh, you know, it should be. I mean, every year I think you want to strive to get better and, um, you know, that’s same with myself. playing and try to be better every game, be better every day and and you’re not always going to do that, but um just try to consistently grow and obviously if you know there’s recognition from people cuz you know you don’t care about what people on the outside think, you care about what people on the inside are are thinking and um people that are helping you try to be your best and be help the team be the best. So um you know it’s always good if you you hear that internally. How much was it you navigating that yourself growing up realizing that that’s kind I need to hear I can hear lots of the noise you referencing like we talked to you like hearing from your own guys. How much when did you actually kind of realize that you know as a player you need to hear from the guys in this room? Uh my whole life really. I never really cared too much uh about outside uh noise. I think it was almost internal that I needed to get a little better with is you know selft talk or um you know how I’m how I’m handling expectations you know individually and internally and uh I think that just comes with growing up and um you know just just playing in the league learning how to handle things. I mean you play so many games you can’t get too high too low and I think that’s something that um you know I’ve gotten better with. You guys are actually winning now too. That must help the fact you guys are getting the results. For sure. Yeah, it’s it’s it’s fun, man. I was uh you even just like talking to the guys and stuff, it’s like, man, we we got to win tomorrow. That’s a that’s a good feeling. You know, we’ve had, you know, a couple years where um you know, maybe obviously you always want to win, it always matters, but um you know, you’re your your record’s not great and maybe, you know, if you win tomorrow, it means you’re second last, not last versus right now obviously where we are. But it’s so early still. Um, we obviously have lost lost three straight, so we got to kind of figure that out and um, keep getting better and and obviously hopefully we can play some important games here. Is it a coincidence that you’ve been playing so well since Ryan Green joined your line? Uh, he’s been great. Yeah, I mean, he’s had, you know, a great impact with me and Berkkey and, um, you know, he’s someone that came into camp and, um, you know, I think he he didn’t know he’d been in Rockford to be here and had a great camp and made the team and, uh, has given them you know, the reason to keep him up and keep him moving him up the lineup. So, um, he’s been great. He’s he’s been such a such an add to our group, such an add to our line. So, uh, it’s been it’s been fun playing with him. What do you got coming tonight? Not many. Not many. Like, uh, I don’t know, eight 8 to 10ish. Couple couple buddies, uh, parents, sister. Not uh, not too crazy. So, I’m not digging in the wallet too much, which is nice. It’s like everything else. It’s old news now that you come back. I know. Exactly. Yeah. I had my 15 minutes of fame. I’m good now. We watched how hard you work in the offseason. You were kind enough with us watching the summertime. I watched the pregame skate with Tony Coronado and I said you looked faster to me and he said no his stride’s more powerful. How much did you work on your skating and after the first two years? Is it something you said I need to get quicker or I need to get stronger? Yeah, I think something that going into the summer um was was kind of on my mind uh you know what I’m doing off ice and um on the ice. You know, I think I’ve talked about a bit like, you know, it sucks when you don’t make the playoffs, but then you have four or five months of time to, you know, relax, but also kind of, you know, do what you can to improve. And, you know, I felt like I took took that time um and use it well. And I feel good right now. So, I just kind of try to keep building on that. A month into the season, you guys are one of the best five out of five teams. Does that feel sustainable to you? What What do you think’s working? And why is it sustainable? Uh, yeah, for sure. I mean, we’re I don’t think we’re an easy team to play. Um, you know, you look at it if you’re on the other side, how fast we are, how tenacious we are. I think that that would be frustrating five on five. And, um, I think, you know, as someone on the power play, we got to, you know, start winning games for our team and start, uh, producing at a higher clip, but, um, you know, I think like you said, five on five, we we’ve been good. And, um, I don’t see why we can’t keep that up. that play you made to Andre in Seattle where you chipped it past the guy chased him down. Do you feel like that’s something where you’re the work you did over the summer and you’re skating and speed helps you or maybe in the past it would have been harder to get to that point when you typically have uh maybe I mean you’re just having you maybe an extra step obviously helps you I mean you’re just going faster so I guess it uh it could have helped a little but um yeah I think that’s just more on you know just making a simple play and kind of trying to make something happen. So um yeah I think it it could have helped a bit though. Has your speed kind of changed your calculus in that sort of situation where you know that you can do that so it can change your decision making? Um, yeah. I don’t know. Maybe maybe a bit just in in some ways. Uh, trying to use that, trying to make guys push. In that one, he obviously was very, very into me, so I was able to kind of get around him. But, uh, maybe in little areas if I can have an extra step, it kind of changes some stuff.

Connor Bedard reflects on his early season performance and areas of improvement ahead of playing in his hometown of Vancouver.

Subscribe: https://youtube.com/blackhawks
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nhlblackhawks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlblackhawks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nhlblackhawks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nhlblackhawks
Website: https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/

#nhl #blackhawks #connorbedard