Bedard's homecoming special despite Blackhawks loss to Canucks

VANCOUVER -- Connor Bedard had been to Rogers Arena as a Vancouver Canucks fan several times when he was a kid.

Skating on the ice there, though?

“One time, this camp that was on this ice, and I was 4 or 5 years old,” Bedard, the No. 1 pick for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft said prior to their 4-1 loss to the Canucks on Saturday.

“It was my first time being on NHL ice. I don't remember it that well, but I would think it would've (seemed very big).”

Bedard’s second time on Rogers Arena ice was quieter than he would’ve liked. The 19-year-old forward had one shot on goal in 16:48 of ice time for the Blackhawks, who have scored just one regulation goal in each of their past five games. But it was nevertheless a chance to come home and be around the people who are special to him.

The Blackhawks did not practice Friday, which gave Bedard a chance to spend time with his family. With the team staying over in Vancouver before heading back to Chicago on Sunday, he expected to see others following the game.

The crowd gave a cheer of recognition to Bedard as a camera panned across his back during the singing of the American national anthem.

Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said he expected the return home would bring a little extra jump to Bedard’s step. Unfortunately, it didn’t break him out of his scoring slump. Bedard, who has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 18 games, has one point in his past four (an assist in a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Nov. 7). His last goal came in a 4-2 loss to the Stars on Oct. 26.

He's still looking for the touch he had last season, when he led the Blackhawks with 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games and won the Calder Trophy, awarded to the League’s top rookie.

Richardson didn’t think Bedard was pressing.

“I think he’s maybe holding onto the puck a little too long and looking for something better,” he said.

“We try to encourage him to shoot the puck. He’s an elusive shooter and he’s dangerous. If we can get him skating and shooting the puck on the fly, I think that’s when he’s the most dangerous. But sometimes it’s the way the game goes. You have to have a little patience and put it in and forecheck and hopefully turn pucks over.”

With the Blackhawks trailing 2-1 with less about two minutes remaining in regulation, Bedard tried to send the puck deep into the offensive zone. He didn’t connect, however, and Canucks forward J.T. Miller scored an empty-net goal at 18:04 of the third period.

“I’m sure that was probably a blow. He just missed the puck and the empty net, that’s just a little bit of salt in the wound I think coming home for his first game here,” Richardson said. “But I saw the guys patting him on the back.

“It happens. He’s trying to do the right thing and get in deep, and he just missed the puck. That just kind of compounds everything but we’ll talk to him and support him. For him it’s the same as everybody: when we have a chance, we shouldn’t be looking for another pass. We should be looking for a shot.”

Sure, it wasn’t the storybook return Bedard was hoping to have, but it still had its moments. As the Blackhawks skated in the morning, a group of players from the North Shore Winter Club, where Bedard played growing up and where he still belongs, were in the stands watching his every move. It was a reminder of where he started and how far he’s come.

“You put yourself back in those shoes, when the NHL was just a dream and not a reality. It's fun to see the excitement of people, not only for myself but also for the game and the League we're in,” he said. “It definitely makes you think about those times where you're in their shoes.”