Chicago has named Connor Bedard the 37th captain in franchise history, a significant honour for the Canucks fan who grew up in North Vancouver.
The Story
Chicago has announced that Connor Bedard will wear the captain’s “C” for the Blackhawks, making him the 37th player to hold the role in franchise history. The appointment is especially notable for Vancouver-area fans because Bedard grew up in North Vancouver and has followed the Canucks for most of his life.
The captaincy comes after the Blackhawks were left without one following Nick Foligno’s trade to the Minnesota Wild ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Foligno had been named Chicago’s captain in 2024, and the change set up the opportunity for Bedard to take on the leadership title.
Bedard’s new role aligns with a major commitment from Chicago as well. He has signed a five-year contract extension that keeps him in the organization until at least his age-26 season, when he is listed as becoming an unrestricted free agent.
The terms of the extension include an annual average value of $15 million. Bedard, who turned 21 in July, will enter the period of that agreement as both the youngest captain in the spotlight and a long-term fixture for a franchise planning beyond the current season.
Beyond the contract and the “C,” Bedard’s personal connection to Vancouver has been a recurring thread in his early public profile. The announcement details that he has been a Canucks supporter for most of his life, including describing an emotional reaction as a young child after Vancouver’s 2011 Stanley Cup Final loss to the Boston Bruins in seven games.
There is also a readiness question for the start of the season. Bedard is slated to miss the beginning of the campaign after suffering a shoulder injury while practicing with other Vancouver-based NHLers at Scotia Barn/8 Rinks in Burnaby during the summer.
The Blackhawks’ initial recovery timeline projects Bedard’s season debut around mid-November. When he returns and plays his first game back, the organization expects he will have the captain’s “C” on his sweater.
For Canucks watchers, the timing shapes how and when Vancouver will see Bedard in leadership mode. The clubs are scheduled to meet three times in the season, with the first game at Rogers Arena on November 22, a second meeting in Chicago on January 22, 2027, and the final matchup of the season back in Bedard’s hometown on March 3, 2027.
With the captaincy announcement now in hand, the practical takeaway for Vancouver fans is clear: their matchups against the Blackhawks will carry an extra layer of significance, even as Bedard’s shoulder recovery delays his early-season return to the lineup and puts the captain’s on-ice debut near mid-November.
← More stories