Connor Bedard mentions frustration with Blackhawks development

The Chicago Blackhawks’ No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Connor Bedard, has been working out the team’s development camp since last weekend. He apparently isn’t too excited about one aspect of the Blackhawks’ tactics.

The Chicago Blackhawks had Connor Bedard in the gym

According to Kara Keating with the NHL, the Blackhawks chose to shake up their typical camp structure. Instead of practicing on ice and in skates, Bedard and his new teammates were on the hardwood in a gym in sneakers. They also received boxing lessons:

The main reason why the team chose to move workouts off the ice is to allow players to rest head coach Luke Richardson states. It also takes the pressure off some prospects to perform at a high level as management watches from the stands.

Richardson also mentions that players can allow their bodies to rest for some of the prospects who played until the middle of June. If they continue to overwork their players during the week-long event before they go off to other international camps and rookie camps, then this can cause injuries down the road.

“I think being smart now giving them some intangibles with a little bit of boxing lessons just to change things up and to have some fun [with other] events in the city to get to know the city and maybe feeling more comfortable,” Richardson said. “If you’re more comfortable off the ice, then you’re just going to be more comfortable on the ice.”

Bedard wants to be on the ice