Longtime Vancouver Canucks fan gets some great news

The Blackhawks were left without a captain following Nick Foligno’s trade to the Minnesota Wild ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Foligno was first named Chicago’s captain in 2024 ahead of Bedard’s sophomore NHL season.

Bedard, who turned 21 in July, signed a five-year extension to remain with the Blackhawks until at least his age-26 season, at which point he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. The extension carries an annual average value of $15 million.

Bedard grew up in North Vancouver and was a Canucks fan for most of his life. Bedard even shared that as a five-year-old fan, he cried for a week after his hometown Canucks lost the 2011 Stanley Cup Final to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Bedard is slated to miss the start of the season after suffering a shoulder injury while practicing with other Vancouver-based NHLers at Scotia Barn/8 Rinks in Burnaby over the summer. The Hawks’ initial surgery recovery timeline projects Bedard to make his season debut around mid-November.

And when he does, he’ll have a C on his sweater.

The Blackhawks face the Canucks three times this season. The first is at Rogers Arena on November 22nd; the second is on January 22nd, 2027, in Chicago; and the clubs’ final meeting of the season will be back in Bedard’s hometown on March 3rd, 2027.