Connor Bedard signs five-year, $15 million per year extension with Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks announced a five-year contract extension for forward Connor Bedard worth an average $15 million annually, keeping him with the team through the 2030-31 season.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard agreed to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $15 million, the club said on Saturday. The deal, announced a day after Bedard turned 21, will keep him in Chicago through the 2030-31 season and eliminates one year of unrestricted free agency.
The contract ranks as the third-largest in the NHL by average annual value, behind Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson ($18 million) and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million). Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, has been a central figure in the Blackhawks' rebuilding plan.
"Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. "He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice."
The extension follows a season in which Bedard posted 19 goals and 25 assists in his first 31 games before a shoulder injury halted his scoring pace. He was later promoted to alternate captain after the team traded several veterans at the deadline.
"It’d be an honor," Bedard said when asked about a potential future as captain. "It would be extremely special."
Bedard also reiterated his commitment to the organization, stating that he wants to win with the Blackhawks and believes the team is moving in the right direction.
"I talk about wanting to win, we all want to win. I want to win here for as long as I’m playing," he said after the season.
The extension provides Chicago with cost certainty for its marquee player while preserving salary-cap flexibility for additional roster moves.