EDMONTON, Alberta — In a year and some change since Connor Bedard entered the league, by his own and his Chicago Blackhawks teammates’ making, he’s painted as some sort of ice zombie with a single-minded obsession: hockey.
“I almost had to give the Zamboni guy 50 bucks to get him off the ice,” coach Luke Richardson said last season. He talked this season about hiding Bedard’s sticks and skates.
In January, Nick Foligno copped to failing to keep Bedard off the ice: “Puppy eyes and you just let him out there.”
And Bedard himself created the most meme-worthy moment when he deadpanned, “I like hockey,” a verbal stiff-arm to a question about his persistent post-practice skates.
All jokes aside, the Hawks — who entered their game Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers at 0-1-1 after blowing a late lead Friday in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets — are at least a little concerned about Bedard’s long-term physical and mental endurance.
Believe it or not, Bedard gets it.
“I mean, I’m not on the ice all day,” the 19-year-old star told the Tribune. “I take a lot of pride in taking care of my body and trying to feel the best I can every game. That’s No. 1 in the season.”
See it from his point of view.
“We have a lot of days we don’t practice,” Bedard said. “When we do, it’s 30, 40 minutes, we go hard, and then you can stay out for another 30.
“I don’t think that’s a huge deal. The rest of the day is me trying to take care of myself and get myself feeling good.”
He’s also aware of warnings not to burn himself out mentally.
“After I leave the rink, I go home and I don’t do much,” Bedard said. “I just kind of sit on my couch, go on my phone, watch some sports, hang out. So that’s kind of my time to just get away from it. Talk to some buddies or watch whatever.
“And that’s kind of what I enjoy, as boring as it sounds, maybe.”
Bedard said if there’s anything he is worried about, it’s his obsession with his phone — texting friends and whatever else Gen Zers do.
“People always tell me to start reading,” he smiled. “And I know it’s good for you, but I’ve got to get my addiction off on the phone a little bit, and then maybe I’ll start.”
