Connor Bedard Starts Scrum Sticking Up for Injured Teammate

Connor Bedard has been doing everything right in his first year as an NHLer. The former first overall pick had an insane level of hype surrounding him before he came to Chicago, and it is safe to say he has been living up to it. Now, Blackhawks fans can have even more to be proud of after an incident in the Lightning game last night.

During the game, Lightning player Mikhail Sergachev delivered a questionable hit to Blackhawk Philipp Kurashev, sending him head-first into the boards. The first player in to defend Kurashev? 18-year-old Connor Bedard.

No one expects Bedard to do any more than what he did during the play, nor do I think any Blackhawks fans would want him to. But, the fact that he was willing to be the first to confront Sergachev after the hit says a lot about his character and care for his teammates.

Bedard is doing everything in his power to have a successful first campaign in the NHL, and it seems to be paying off. The rookie has 9 goals and 4 assists for 13 points in 14 games. What's arguably more impressive is how this success on the ice hasn't resulted in any wavering in his dedication to perfecting his craft. The young star continues to spend time after practice working on his game, a work ethic that will take him beyond that next level.

As for the Blackhawks, they will now need to find the right pieces to fit around their new franchise player as they continue their rebuild.