Blackhawks hide Connor Bedard's Sticks in bid to keep him off the ice

"Once we gave that green light," Davidson said, "there was a zero percent chance Bedard wasn't going to play that night."

"... 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?'"

"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.