Blackhawks reportedly hid Connor Bedard's equipment

The Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, and used the 1st overall pick to select young phenom forward Connor Bedard, the consensus first selection. 

And they're already becoming fiercely protective of him, even going so far as to lock the rink and hide his equipment to prevent him from risking potential injury from over practice! 

According to a piece from ESPN's Emily Kaplan, Blackhawks staff members try to do everything possible to try and prevent him from being overworked, even though he often tries to get in as much work as possible:

"The Blackhawks have a hockey shooting range at their practice facility, which they sometimes rent out for birthday parties," Kaplan wrote. "Bedard is in there so much, the team simply refers to it as 'Connor's room.' Davidson joked he would need to lock it to keep him out. It was a bit of fun, until Davidson got a text one Sunday while watching NFL games on his couch. Bedard wanted to know why the room was locked, and if Davidson did it intentionally. The innocent error was duly fixed.

"... On one scheduled optional day, Bedard wanted to skate. Richardson thought Bedard needed rest, so he had the equipment staff hide Bedard's sticks in the coaches' room. Bedard is especially particular about his stick; his Sherwood features a 70 flex, its whippiness helps his signature release. 'So he has a choice to make,' Richardson said. 'Does he get out there with someone else's stick?'"

Despite missing a handful of this season with a broken jaw, Bedard leads all NHL rookies in scoring and is the odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the League's best 1st year player. 

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