The Chicago Blackhawks will open year three of the Connor Bedard era against the defending champion Florida Panthers. They are a team that has now won two straight, and they’re also a team that Bedard and his new coach were watching closely during their run, hoping to pick up on things.
Connor Bedard wants to take something from Panthers for Chicago Blackhawks in 2025-26
The Florida Panthers are the gold standard in hockey right now after three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances and two consecutive wins. The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t there yet, but Connor Bedard was watching along with new coach Jeff Blashill to try and take things away from their game and to the Hawks.
“Throughout the [Stanley] Cup Final, he would text me a little bit and ask me what I’m seeing in those games and what he wanted me to watch,” Bedard revealed via the Chicago Sun-Times. Bedard is one of the best young talents in the sport, but his coach wanted him to watch some veterans do it on the biggest stage.
“The biggest thing I talked about with him was how hard Florida is on pucks, whether it’s forechecking, backchecking, or reloading. You notice that when you’re playing them. When we played in Florida, it felt like there were five guys on you the whole game. It makes it really hard to play against them,” he said.
Not every team can emulate the Panthers, because they’ve built a roster designed to play a certain way. However, Bedard added, “That’s somewhat [based on] personnel, but [it’s also about] just doing it, having the wherewithal to be in the right spots and be going hard. I think anyone can really do that.”
Should he take anything away from what the Panthers have done, it will make him a better player. And if Bedard is a better player, then the Blackhawks will be a better team in 2025-26, which is what the front office hopes will happen. Their hopes rest largely on Bedard as the star and the face of the team, so anything he can do to learn and grow is crucial.
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