ACCORDING TO MY FATHER, YOU can’t wear the jersey of a player who is younger than you. Will he break that rule for Connor Bedard? Probably not—Dad’s a crank. But many Chicagoans will. Here’s why.
THE FLOP
After trading away five of their top eight, for a certain puck-slapping prodigy to be eligible for the 2023 NHL draft. How serendipitous! To be clear: The Blackhawks have not admitted to tanking. Nor am I, ahem, making that allegation. But in the words of a certain four-times-indicted ex–commander in chief: the Hawks intentionally shat the bed for a shot at Bedard. Still, tanking is no guarantee of future success. The Blackhawks had just an 11.5 percent chance (two teams had better odds in the draft lottery) of winning the first pick. But lo and behold, it was theirs. And soon so was Bedard. Many consider this mild-mannered 18-year-old Canadian a godsend to not just the Hawks but the NHL.
