Connor Bedard Is Motivated by the Lack of Hype – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

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.

Related: Blackhawks 5 Keys to Success in 2025-26

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…