How Blackhawks Are Shaping The Next Wave of Team Leaders – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

“Leadership” has been a big buzzword all season for the Chicago Blackhawks, especially after veterans Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, and Connor Murphy (captain and alternate captains) got traded at the NHL Trade Deadline. It was by design.

General manager Kyle Davidson always envisioned the young players taking over the team, but he knew they would need help to get there. After the trade deadline, opportunities for leadership amongst the group emerged, and their exit interviews offered a good indication of what they learned.

Blackhawks “Lead By Example” Design

Leadership is an interesting word because it looks different for everyone. Jonathan Toews had a defining 15-year run as Blackhawks captain, earning the nickname “Captain Serious.” Whereas Nick Foligno, as captain, was more boisterous. But their styles worked for them, and they are beloved for it.

Now, the Blackhawks players are in the process of figuring that out for themselves. Head coach Jeff Blashill was confident he had the guys who could fill the leadership voids.

When it comes to the team leaders, it went from Foligno, Dickinson, and Murphy to Tyler Bertuzzi and Connor Bedard getting the “A’s.” Blashill praised both Bertuzzi and Bedard for their approach and the examples they set for “winning hockey.”

When Blashill was asked about Bertuzzi’s leadership, this starting point looms large: “I think the best leaderships and the best leaders are by example, to be honest with you…”

“Leading by example” was something the Blackhawks embraced. In exit interviews, Frank Nazar mentioned wanting to inspire others by being himself, working hard, and being a good guy. Alex Vlasic discussed his desire to lead by example at and away from the rink, inspired by Connor Murphy.

Obviously, when talking about someone like Bedard, who is poised to become the team’s next captain, his teammates raved about his standard, too. Oliver Moore said, “I think he stayed steady to who he was. I think that’s what makes him a great leader. You know, he continued to bring consistency, I think, on and off the ice. Just with the guy he is, and with the work he puts in, I think it can go unnoticed sometimes. I think culturally having your best player be your hardest worker, is something that’s just gonna drive guys like me and young guys, and I think that he continued to bring that every day and I think that’s just gonna make him a special leader.”

Even though the Blackhawks went over a month without their main leadership guys, they seemed to take away a lot from the experience of discovering their own leadership styles, which, in turn, has led them to see each other’s potential. Ryan Greene said, “Yeah, I think a lot of guys have had that experience being a leader, and I just think, overall, we have a lot of high character guys in our locker room and a lot of guys that might not ever wear letters for this team, but they can lead in different ways. So, I think it’s a good mix and a lot of guys are capable of it, for sure.”

Shaping the Next Blackhawks Leaders

The Blackhawks’ leadership group will look different next year. Even though it is possible that the Blackhawks could choose to go next season without a captain, I think it’s more probable that Bedard will get the nod. Nevertheless, the players seem to have learned a lot from the veterans. One recent example that is hard to overlook is how Foligno prioritized keeping the team close, which included a get-together at his lake house last summer, dubbed “Camp Foligno.” (From ‘Wild’s Nick Foligno on his time with Blackhawks, ‘Camp Foligno’: ‘Fell in love with that group’ – The Athletic – 3/17/2026)

This summer, the Blackhawks’ players discussed staying close and planning trips together.

It starts in the room. It starts with the players, and they took pride in taking charge together. As veteran André Burakovsky told me in March, “Everyone is helping each other out. I think we have such a young team; I think it’s really good that the young guys are taking responsibility, too. They’re not just being quiet. We’re all leaders on this team. We all help each other. We all take care of each other. We all want each other to succeed. So, I think the group, like you said before… is extremely tight. We have a really, really good group, and it’s fun to be around. It’s a great group to be around, for sure.”

As the young Blackhawks enter their new era and will eventually lead the next wave, they gained good experience in the second half of the season. Veterans like Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen will still be there for guidance, too.

After all, team leadership in the NHL is always mentioned because it is essential. Going into next season and beyond, the “veteran wave” that was heavy on the roster in the tough rebuilding seasons will hope to pay off on and off the ice.