The Chicago Blackhawks head into another offseason after missing the playoffs for a third time under phenom forward Connor Bedard and for the sixth consecutive year overall.
With the NHL campaign over, attention shifted to the potential participation of some of the team's players in international competitions, namely the IIHF World Championships.
This year's Worlds are scheduled to take place May 15-31 in Switzerland, but Chicago's best player won't take part in the tournament and thus will not represent Team Canada in Europe.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the news on Friday, citing health concerns as the main reason Bedard had to skip playing for Canada during the next few weeks.
“Unfortunately, Connor Bedard won’t be able to dress for Canada at the upcoming Worlds,” Friedman wrote on X. “Really wanted to go, but was told the best thing for next season was to rehab his injury and skip the event. So that is the decision.”
Bedard was expected to be a potential addition for Team Canada, but will instead focus on recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered on Dec. 12 against the St. Louis Blues, which lingered throughout the season
Despite missing time, the 20-year-old still produced career-best numbers, finishing with 30 goals and 45 assists for 75 points in 69 games, all of those figures his best to date in the NHL.
Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Bedard already opted out of the 2025 World Championship last spring to focus on his offseason training, a decision that surely contributed to his improvement during the 2025-26 season.
Despite the absence of Bedard, Team Canada’s roster will include players such as Macklin Celebrini, Mark Scheifele, Mathew Barzal and Morgan Rielly, all of them already confirmed to be part of the roster.
