Connor Bedard made his stance on loyalty clear this week and explained why he never considered leaving. His comments during a radio interview echoed a similar message shared by Matthew Schaefer.

Bedard signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Blackhawks on July 18. The deal holds a $15 million average annual value. This comes just over a week after Leo Carlsson signed a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers before Anaheim matched it.

That offer sheet reset the market standards for many young players and put pressure on Chicago. There were speculations about whether Bedard would consider a similar move to get a bigger deal, but he shut that idea down early.

When he was on OverDrive 1050, as per @CRoumeliotis on X, Bedard confirmed he never brought up an offer sheet.

“For me, I kind of let them know from the start that it wasn’t something I was ever going to do,” Bedard said. “The risk of not being a Blackhawk wasn’t worth any amount of money.”

Even as Carlsson's deal rose expectations of all the players around the league, Bedard still stayed loyal. The Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer similarly shut down the idea of rising contracts. Speaking to NHL.com this week, Schaefer discussed his own long-term plan,

“I don’t need to think about that; I’m still a kid, I’m still a year away from any of that,” Schaefer said. “I love Long Island. We have something so special going on there. I don’t care about the money. I just want to play the game of hockey, and that's what I love.”

Both young stars, who are still early in their careers, chose to stay loyal to their team. 

Bedard's new deal with the Blackhawks

Bedard's new contract locks him in with the team till the 2030-31 season. He scored 75 points in 69 games last season. That marks his third straight season leading Chicago in scoring. 

Ever since he entered the league in 2023 as the No. 1 pick, he has scored 203 points in 219 games and won the 2024 Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

According to the NHL, Chicago announced on July 8 that Bedard will be missing the start of the next season. This is because he’s dealing with surgery on his left shoulder. He went through multiple injuries throughout his young career, including a fractured jaw as a rookie and an upper-body injury last December.

The general manager, Kyle Davidson, praised Bedard's growth since he joined, calling him an elite player who continues to make his teammates better. This extension gives Chicago certainty on its cap space as it builds on its roster while heading into the new season.

What do you think of Bedard's commitment to Chicago? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason