Blackhawks head coach calls out Team Canada for snubbing Connor Bedard
Photo credit: On Tap Sports Net
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill called out Team Canada for once again snubbing forward Connor Bedard, who also wasn't included on their roster in the 4 Nations Faceoff last February.
There was tons of anticipation for fans of Team Canada for their roster to be released, and it came out yesterday with several notable names included, among them being Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Brad Marchand and Macklin Celebrini.
But one name that was missing from the roster yet again is Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, who was also snubbed from the Canadian roster for the 4 Nations Faceoff last February.
Chicago's coach Jeff Blashill, who is in his first year coaching Bedard and the Blackhawks, said that Canada has made a mistake by not including him on their roster.
I don't think the rest of the league knows how good of a two-way winning hockey player Connor has become. The reason why I know he's a big-time winning hockey player [is] when he was in our lineup, we were one point out of the wild card, and since then we're 1-6-1... You only have that impact if you're a true two-way kind of winning player, and that's what he's become. - Jeff Blashill
So far this year, Bedard has 44 points (19G, 25A) for the Blackhawks, who were off to a hot start but have since cooled off considerably.
Connor Bedard Was Also Snubbed From The 4 Nations Faceoff
Bedard, who has been very open in his desire to be included on the Canadian roster, was also snubbed from their 4 Nations Faceoff roster last February.
Bedard acknowledged his disappointment in being snubbed but also said it was likely because of the slower start he got off to earlier in the season.
The former first overall pick of the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft will have to wait for another international tournament to represent Canada.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 1|559 ANSWERS Blackhawks head coach calls out Team Canada for snubbing Connor Bedard Did Connor Bedard deserve to be on Team Canada? | ||
| Yes | 338 | 60.5 % |
| No | 221 | 39.5 % |
| List of polls | ||