An “L” on the scoreboard and a career-first 10-minute misconduct? Yeah, that’s the kind of night Connor Bedard had. The Blackhawks went head-to-head with the San Jose Sharks on March 13, where Collin Graf lit up the ice with two goals, and Will Smith added a goal and an assist, leading the Sharks to a 4-2 win at SAP Center. But while the scoreboard told one story, Bedard’s third-period ejection for “abuse of officials” had fans scratching their heads. No explanation came from the ref, and even Bedard himself looked completely puzzled when told to skate to the box.
Turns out, the call stemmed from something he said after a blatant trip by Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro went uncalled. With fans buzzing about the call, Blackhawks coach wasn’t sweating it—he took a trip down memory lane, recalling Sidney Crosby’s early NHL days to remind everyone that superstars take their share of hard knocks. No need to hit the panic button just yet—Bedard’s just getting his first taste of NHL growing pains, and if history’s any indication, he’ll come out even stronger.
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.
Anders Sorensen isn’t worried about his young superstar. pic.twitter.com/FCFxjywcpS
— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) March 17, 2025
This story is developing…
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