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Jeremy Roenick shares some advice to Connor Bedard.
Hockey Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick was once a highly-touted prospect in the NHL and he shared some advice to Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard.
Bedard was selected first overall in the 2023 NHL draft and was expected to come in and immediately turn around the Blackhawks franchise. However, that hasn’t been the case but Roenick believes there is too much pressure on teenagers to produce right away.
But, Roenick does think Bedard needs to grow and will need to have a thick skin to not care what anyone else says in order to take his career to the next step.
“I always think when you have young kids that have such high expectations coming into a man’s world right, into a man’s sport, whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, whatever the case may be, it’s a very, very, very rare special player or special unique player that can prosper and that can and make it work and make it happen right and survive. Bedard is smaller and he will grow into himself. He will learn the game and he will learn what it takes to be a superstar,” Roenick said to Heavy.com.
“I think since he started, I mean, he’s at 100 points already,” Roenick continued. “So you can’t knock his production, but then you also can’t blame him for the place in the standings. It’s a rebuild, which is always very difficult and he’s doing the best he can. And now, you know, he just has to learn and create some thick skin and understand what all the pressures and trials and tribulations that come along with being this NHL superstar and a team leader.”
Bedard has skated in 115 career games recording 35 goals and 67 assists for 102 points.
Roenick Believes Blackhawks Needed to Rebuild
The Blackhawks were once a dominant team in the NHL but that is no longer the case.
Chicago is in the midst of a rebuild which Roenick says needed to happen. The worst spot to be in professional sports was the middle, so Roenick thinks the Blackhawks are smart for doing a rebuild and building around Bedard.
“Well, you want them to rebuild and you want them to rebuild as fast as they can. It’s very easy to get caught in the three cups in six years,” Roenick said. “It’s very easy to get spoiled. There’s no question that they have a superstar that they can rally around. It’s going out there and finding the best talent out there to build in the draft to make trades to put the best people around Bedard.
“And, he needs to grow, and I think he will,” Roenick added. “Rebuilding in this game is not easy. It’s not a quick fix and people have to be patient. But there’s no question that they want to get back to the Stanley Cup. How long it’ll take them to do is anybody’s guess. But I know that that the right mentality is there.”
The Blackhawks are currently 15-28-4 and in second-last in the NHL.
Roenick Looking to Win HGV Tournament of Champions
Roenick will be back competing at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on January 30-February 2 in Orlando.
The Hockey Hall of Famer is among the celebrities playing alongside LPGA stars, and Roenick says the goal this year is to win the tournament.
“It’s always pressure. I guess that’s one of the reasons why we love going and playing competitive golf, right? Last year was a little disappointing for me,” Roenick said.” I had the lead for like 63 straight holes and then made a double (bogey) on 13 or 12. That was the end of my chances. Unfortunately, I’ve been close in so many tournaments and haven’t been able to put it away. So I would like to say there is no pressure, but it keeps mounting every time I get close and not finish it off. So I’m just going to go and have fun, and hopefully, the win happens instead of the falter.”
Roenick was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024.
