With that free time and much more, Bedard went to work. After his first NHL season, his biggest focus was adding speed this offseason while he was back home in Vancouver. He sought to simulate NHL play as much and increase his skating within it. It’s early, but Bedard does look faster than he did a season ago. He feels it, too.

The Chicago Blackhawks opened training camp Thursdasy with the formal introduction of new captain Nick Foligno, who gave a nod to his predecessor, Jonathan Toews.

Connor Bedard is much more at ease at Chicago Blackhawks training camp this time, coming off an offseason of calm he didn’t get last year when he was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. “I didn’t do an interview for a couple of months,