Connor Bedard named Chicago Blackhawks captain

The Chicago Blackhawks have named 21-year-old center Connor Bedard as the 37th captain in franchise history. Bedard becomes the youngest active captain in the NHL and the second-youngest in Blackhawks history, trailing only Jonathan Toews.

The announcement follows a significant offseason for Bedard, which included signing a five-year, $75 million contract extension in July. The team had been without a captain since the trade of Nick Foligno to the Minnesota Wild in March.

Bedard is currently recovering from surgery on his left shoulder sustained while skating in western Canada. As a result, he is expected to miss the start of the upcoming season, with a potential return in November. While Bedard leads the team, the Blackhawks' leadership group is expected to include veteran Patrick Kane and Tyler Bertuzzi as alternate captains.