Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard responds to wild Corey Perry rumor

Before veteran Corey Perry revealed his battle with mental health and substance abuse issues which led to his abrupt release from the Chicago Blackhawks, the team's initial lack of transparency led to unflattering rumors involving a family member of star rookie Connor Bedard. 

On Friday, reporters in Winnipeg found it appropriate to ask for the 18-year-old's response to the embarrassing gossip. Luckily, Bedard was gracious enough to engage calling the situation "just a bunch of BS on the internet." 

"It's of course been an effect on myself and my family, and that's not fair," Bedard said via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. "But it's out of our control. It's all just fake, made-up stuff."

Bedard has already proven to be a budding star on the ice, but his reaction to being put on the spot to discuss a sensitive situation should give Blackhawks fans even more hope for his future. Despite the circumstances, Bedard stood tall and answered in a relaxed, calm demeanor when he had every excuse not to. 

The Blackhawks brought in Perry to provide a veteran mentor for Bedard, thus the salacious whispers that ensued after his release. The team didn't help matters by being largely mum on the reasoning. However, it's clear now that their hands were tied since Perry's privacy was paramount. 

Before the Blackhawks matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 22, the team pulled Perry from the lineup due to a personal matter. Later, the team placed Perry on waivers to terminate his contract for what the Blackhawks deemed "conduct that was unacceptable" and that violated both the terms of his contract and the team's internal policies. 

It's still unknown what action led to Perry's dismissal. Still, in a statement released on Nov. 30, he said he was "sickened" by the speculation that teammates or their families were involved, adding that he'd begun treatment to address his mental health and struggles with alcohol.