Connor Bedard gets brutally honest about Paul Bissonnette and TNT crew's scathing review of his game

Chicago Blackhawks rising star Connor Bedard fired back after TV analyst Paul Bissonnette strongly criticized Bedard for his play during the Blackhawks’ 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.

During the TNT broadcast, Bissonnette said:

"Sometimes I see him continue to try things that aren't going to work at the NHL level, like soft plays that are just going to get picked off and go back the other way," Bissonnette said. "And as much as good he does is sometimes he doesn't do great things."

Following Bissonnette’s comments, Chicago Sun-Times' Blackhawks beat reporter Ben Pope shared Connor Bedard's response on X/Twitter:

“I’m not watching broadcasts or anything. I’m playing hockey. Their job is to say what they see. I couldn’t really care less what people on the outside think of me. But I’m not going to be bu**hurt if someone says I made a bad play. It’s their job.”

Criticism has mounted as the Blackhawks find themselves mired in the Central Division cellar in a season when they were expected to improve. The fact that the Hawks are once again poised for a lottery pick has left fans disappointed.

However, there is hope for improvement as Bedard and Co. continue to mature as a team heading into next season.

Connor Bedard can learn from all-world star Connor McDavid

The Hockey News' Vinnie Parise wrote on Feb. 6 comparing Connor Bedard’s start in the league to Connor McDavid’s. Like McDavid, Bedard started off well in the NHL but had been stuck on a losing team. Over time, the Oilers became a dominant team thanks to McDavid’s hard work and perseverance.

That’s a crucial lesson that Bedard could learn from McDavid. In particular, Parise highlighted:

“Bedard must recognize the grind it takes to get there no matter how generational you are.”

Indeed, the grind behind becoming one of the league's best players cannot be understated.

“Bedard will never have McDavid’s speed or edge work but he can have similar production if he finds the best ways to use his skills. That means relying mostly on his shot and brilliant hockey IQ,” he added.

Parise further underscored how Bedard could utilize his elite-level skills to transform the Blackhawks into a winning team under his guidance and leadership:

“The best players take their skills and become obsessed with winning to be successful.”

It’s easy to forget that Connor Bedard is still 19 years old. There’s still plenty of time and room for him to grow into one of the league’s top five players. Like McDavid, such results will likely come with time and dedication.

The hard part is putting in the work to get there. Blackhawks fans will hope Bedard is willing to endure the grind needed to find the level of success McDavid and the Oilers found last season.