An “L” on the scoreboard and a career-first 10-minute misconduct? Yes that was the kind of night Connor Bedard had. The Blackhawks played against San Jose Sharks on March 13, Collin Graf scored two goals and Will Smith scored a goal and an assist while San Jose Sharks won 4-2 at SAP Center. But while the scoreboard told one story, Bedard’s third-period ejection for “abuse of officials” had fans scratching their heads. There was no reason given by the ref, and even Bedard himself appeared to be quite bewildered when instructed to get to the penalty box.

Turns out, the call stemmed from something he said after a blatant trip by Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro went uncalled. When fans were discussing the call, Blackhawks coach was not worried at all—he remembered that Sid Crosby had some tough beginnings in the NHL as well. Don’t worry, though; Bedard is just experiencing the first of many NHL struggles, and if past performances are anything to go by, he will only improve.

The Blackhawks took to X on March 17 to drop a little reassurance bomb, letting fans know that “Anders Sorensen isn’t worried about his young superstar.” And honestly? The coach made it clear he’s seen this story before.

Sorensen didn’t hesitate to draw some legendary comparisons, saying, “I remember Sidney Crosby went through that a lot. I remember Peter Forsberg came into the league mild-mannered off the ice, but on the ice, it happens, right? They want to win. They want to be successful.” In other words, Bedard’s fire is nothing new—just part of the blueprint for greatness.

Back in 2023, Sidney Crosby found himself in unfamiliar territory—getting tossed from a game for the very first time. During the match between the Penguins and the Kings, in which the Penguins won 6-0, Crosby and Mikey Anderson had a collision near the goal. Anderson’s cross-checking resulted in a penalty for him, as well as some arguing between the two players. Crosby, never one to back down, threw in a shove for good measure. The officials weren’t having it and gave both parties 10-minute misconducts.

But Crosby wasn’t done pleading his case, and that extra push got him the ultimate send-off—his first-ever ejection. That is why when Connor Bedard found himself in a similar position, it was just another episode of the most zealous hockey players challenging the officials. And the Blackhawks’ coach? Indeed, he has been standing by Bedard in every way possible!

Coach has had Connor Bedard’s back for a while

The Chicago Blackhawks brought the heat on March 4, shutting down the Los Angeles Kings with a statement win! Five goals, 41 saves, and a team that looked like they had something to prove—it was a tough night for LA, whose losing streak stretched to four games. And stealing the show? Spencer Knight, the newcomer between the pipes, who stopped 41 of the 42 shots in his first game after the trade. But while Chicago’s defense and offense were clicking, their biggest star, Connor Bedard, was still in a scoring drought, extending his dry spell to five straight games.

Knowing that all the pressure was on Bedard to come out of the funk and get the Blackhawks offense going, head coach Anders Sorensen was not worried. Ben Pope, a Blackhawks reporter, revealed on X Sorensen’s rather laid back attitude. “He knows he’s getting chances; he knows he’s setting up some chances. Last game, there were a couple of plays they were a half a play away.” Translation? The coach recognizes a player’s hard work, even if the puck isn’t cooperating. Bedard is still the best offensive player on the team scoring 17 goals and 35 assists in a total of 67, just that he has not done much in the recent games.

Even in the Blackhawks’ loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Bedard was still a talking point. He spent more than 22 minutes on the ice but was only able to get a single shot at the goal—a tough break for someone used to lighting up the scoreboard. Sorensen kept it real after the game, admitting, “We had a little push to return the title a bit, but we gave up too much, honestly.” Defense took the brunt of the blame, but the message was clear: Bedard’s struggles may be frustrating, but the team has bigger issues to clean up.