Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard didn’t make it on the Canadian team for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament a season after he earned an All-Star appearance as a rookie in the NHL. The second-year rising star watched the United States beat Canada 3-1 on Saturday.
Canada defeated Finland 5-3 on Monday, which allowed them to advance for a rematch against the US in the championship on Thursday night. Despite being left out of the event, Bedard, a native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, said the new All-Star format is good for the sport.
Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard on the 4 Nations tournament
“It’s been unreal,” Bedard said via Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio. “It’s probably been the highest level of hockey ever played. I mean, that Canada game, first 10 seconds there’s 3 fights. I think people were wondering how it would be and it’s been unbelievable to watch. It’s great for the game, and obviously playing for your country shows a lot of pride. It’s been fun to watch.”
Connor Bedard on the 4 Nations tournament: "It's been unreal. It's probably been the highest level of hockey ever played. I mean, that Canada game, first 10 seconds there's 3 fights. I think people were wondering how it would be and it's been unbelievable to watch. It's great for…
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 18, 2025
Playing for pride is what the Blackhawks do best right now
Bedard sounded like he wanted to join in on the fun with Canada, especially with his comment about playing with pride for one’s country.
Unfortunately, Bedard will need to master face-offs and a few other skills before he’s ready to compete in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He’ll get one more opportunity to watch high-level hockey before getting back to playing for the Blackhawks.
Chicago’s next game is on Saturday when they travel to play the Columbus Blue Jackets. Like teams in the 4 Nations Tournament, the Blackhawks have nothing else to play for but pride.
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