Connor Bedard heads into upcoming season with major equipment change

The Chicago Blackhawks have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the last several years, resulting in their receiving of 3 straight top-3 picks in the NHL Entry Draft.

Their most notable pick was landing Connor Bedard after winning the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, and he's already gotten a pair of years in the NHL under his belt but with no postseason appearance.

Bedard, who hasn't shied away from talking about his disappointment in losing, has gotten himself a new piece of equipment, switching to a Sherwood Rekker Morph Pro stick with a 75 Flex:

Bedard currently wears several different equipment brands, including Sherwood Rekker Legend Pro Gloves, Bauer Vapor HyperLite 2 Skates, a CCM Tacks 710 Helmet, and CCM Pants.

In his 2nd year with the Blackhawks, Bedard had 67 points (23G, 44A). He's also going into the last year of his current deal with an AAV (average annual value) of $950,000. That figure will increase substantially on his next deal.

Bedard is the face of a Blackhawks franchise that moved on from icons Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in recent years, and while things have been difficult for him in terms of winning and losing so far in his young NHL career, they're hoping that things get better soon under new head coach Jeff Blashill.

He also chose not to play for Canada in the 2025 IIHF World Championship so that he could focus on preparing himself for his 3rd year in the NHL.