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While a few Chicago Blackhawks youngsters, such as Oliver Moore, Anton Frondell, and Wyatt Kaiser, are expected to play in the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship, a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman surfaced on Friday morning that star forward Connor Bedard will not.
Instead of suiting up for Team Canada in Switzerland, Bedard will continue to rehab his shoulder from the injury he sustained on Dec. 12, 2025, against the St. Louis Blues. According to Friedman, Bedard wanted to represent his native country at the World Championships for the first time, but he was instructed that the best thing for next season was to skip the event and keep getting healthier.
Bedard has already been spotted recently training down in Florida with Moore, who’s expected to play for Team USA at the upcoming World Championships, which run from May 15-31.
This time last year, Bedard elected not to play for Canada at the 2025 World Championships in favor of focusing on his own offseason training, which turned out to be a splendid decision. The 20-year-old improved every aspect of his game last summer, including, and perhaps most notably, becoming a much faster skater. He was also far more well-rounded and scrappier than in his first two seasons.
All the hard work Bedard put in immediately paid dividends, as he produced his first 30-goal and 75-point campaign in the NHL during the 2025-26 campaign. Before the injury, which forced him to miss 13 games, he was among the league’s leading goal scorers and point producers.
It’s a little disappointing that Bedard won’t get the chance to showcase his talent on the International stage once again this summer. However, skipping the tournament will allow him to continue with his normal offseason regimen and help heal any lingering effects from his shoulder injury.
During the team’s exit interviews, head coach Jeff Blashill mentioned that a key for the young Blackhawks to take a step as a team in 2026-27 is for several individuals to have “elite summers.” Clearly, based on the results, Bedard had an elite summer in 2025.
If he can do it again this year and come back even better next fall, the Blackhawks will have their best chance of reaching the postseason since Kyle Davidson took over as general manager.
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The post Report: Connor Bedard Won’t Play For Team Canada at 2026 World Championships appeared first on Chicago Hockey Now.
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