The Chicago Blackhawks received unwanted attention after Connor Bedard was left off Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The decision sparked debate across the league. Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill did not stay quiet, acknowledging how difficult Olympic roster decisions can be.
“I have a ton of respect for how hard these decisions are,” Blashill said, via Ben Pope on X. “Honestly, Canada, the US, Sweden, you have a lot of really good players that you’re going to ultimately leave off these teams.”
Still, Blashill said the league has not fully caught up to how complete Bedard’s game has become.
“The one thing I would say is, I don’t think the rest of the league knows how good of a two-way winning hockey player Connor has become,” Blashill said. “That’s the one thing, and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s based on previous years. But I don’t think they have a full understanding of how good a winning hockey player he is today.”
Jeff Blashill had some things to say about Connor Bedard being left off Team Canada: pic.twitter.com/o1PzK0v4tb
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 1, 2026
Bedard has been the lone bright spot in Chicago’s 2025–26 season. Despite missing time, he has produced 44 points in 31 games. His ability to drive play, control the puck, and handle heavy minutes has stood out nightly.
Blashill pushed back on criticism tied to Bedard’s defensive metrics. He said he does not trust current models to judge true defensive impact.
“I would tell you, I’ve studied those things tons [and] I’ve never seen defensive metrics that I trust to say to me whether or not a guy’s a good defensive player,” Blashill said. “I don’t think they judge what they’re supposed to judge yet. I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Instead, he emphasized winning as the standard that matters most. The coach pointed to clear results when Bedard is in the lineup.
“The metric that I trust is your impact on winning,” Blashill said. “The reason why I know he’s a big-time winning hockey player [is] when he was in our lineup, we were one point out of the wild card, and since then we’re 1-6-1. That’s the impact he’s had… You don’t have that impact if you’re just a point-getter. You only have that impact if you’re a true two-way kind of winning player, and that’s what he’s become.”
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
At just 20 years old, Bedard already shows leadership beyond his age. He impacts games even when the Blackhawks struggle. His competence level and awareness remain consistent shift after shift.
Team Canada unveiled its roster on Wednesday for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. It marks the first Olympics with NHL players since 2014.
While Bedard missed out this time, Blashill made his stance clear that Bedard is already a true two-way winner. That message carried weight well beyond Chicago.
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