Connor Bedard is no stranger to the spotlight. He's been under a microscope for years, and those that have been around him could tell at a young age he had the mental make-up and qualities to be a special hockey player one day.
Ever since the Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft lottery, the hype around the eventual No. 1 overall pick has skyrocketed. To his credit, Bedard has been a true pro and doesn't seem to be fazed by it.
And yet, as someone who covers Bedard on a daily basis, I still find myself wrestling with whether or not he's getting too much media attention, and how to strike the right balance between not being too overbearing but also giving the fans what they want.
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I started to think more about it when Taylor Hall — a former No. 1 overall pick himself — came to the defense of his teammate last week when asked about the Bedard media circus.
"He does way too many in-game interviews and stuff," Hall said. "I think they need to find a way to just let him play, but he understands his role as a major ambassador for the game of hockey and he's handling it so well. He doesn't seem to be fazed by it, but I think it can be a little much for him at times. He doesn't say that, but it feels like it is."
I respected Hall going to bat for Bedard. Honestly, I probably would've done the same if I were in his shoes. That's what a locker room leader should do.
I reflected deeper on the situation on my way home from Saturday's home opener — where he scored his first official goal at the United Center 90 seconds into the game in front of an electric sold-out crowd of 19,867 — after hearing Bedard give an honest, thoughtful answer on the hoopla surrounding him.
Chicago Blackhawks
"It's been pretty wild," Bedard said. "Ever since before camp-ish, it's been crazy, but it's not something I look at as a negative at all. I'm really grateful to be in the position I am and there's very few people that get that opportunity, get to be as lucky. I'm looking at it like that.
"I'm living out a dream and I feel very fortunate for that. But it is crazy and busy. I'm human too; I can get a little tired. But it's been good and I'm just enjoying it."
Naturally, the first thought that crossed my mind was, am I contributing to this potential problem?
I can't control the NHL parading Bedard around, immediately out of the gates. Five of the first seven games of his career are on national television, which included his first ever appearance on Hockey Night in Canada.
That's a lot, although Bedard probably doesn't mind the big stage and playing in front of a national audience. Every great player wants to be in that situation. You want to play meaningful games.
What I can control is my role in it. And I'm consciously aware of that.
For example, Bedard has been made available to the media almost every single day since the regular season started. Most times even twice a day, once after morning skate and another after the game.
When the locker room opens after a practice or morning skate, there are times where I have no intention of interviewing Bedard that day. But when the cameras gravitate toward his locker after he gets off the ice, I have no choice but to jump into the scrum. I can't not be there for it because people are depending on me to do so.
How I reconcile situations like that is, if I don't have anything specific to ask him, I tend not to bother asking a question. I'm just there to listen. If something noteworthy comes from it, it's my job to write about it. But I'm not going to ask a question just to ask a question, unless he says something interesting in real time and it's worth a follow-up.
Other than that, I try to save my questions for Bedard when I'm working on a story that's important to hear his thoughts on. Like why the power play is struggling? How does he feel they can break through in that department? What kind of chemistry is he developing with his linemates? How impactful has Nick Foligno, Corey Perry and the rest of the veterans been to his growth and the young players as a whole? I can't write a story on any of those topics without hearing from Bedard himself.
I'll close with this: At heart, I'm a hockey fan. I got into this business because it's been my favorite sport ever since I was a kid, going to hockey games with my dad and brother and playing shinny sticks in the basement.
If Bedard does something cool on the ice, I'll be the first to clip the highlight and share it on my social channels. If it interests me, I know it will interest others, too.
It's a privilege to have a front-row seat at a star in the making, but I also realize not everyone can watch every single Blackhawks game like I can. Because of that, I feel a responsibility to share what you may have missed if you didn't watch the game, and most times, people want to know what Bedard did.
It's not necessarily my job to promote the NHL, per se, but there is a heavy interest in Bedard and I feel a duty to deliver what the fan wants — including the casual fan. (If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably noticed that my content has been pretty Bedard-centric of late; now you know why).
Bedard is as mature an 18-year-old as you'll find. His perspective on all of this is admirable too; you can hear the gratitude in his voice. But that doesn't mean, like he acknowledged, that he's not human. That isn't lost on me, either, and I'm doing my best to walk the line, even if I'm not perfect at it.