WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The situation in which Connor Bedard currently finds himself is unfair.
He knows it. His teammates know it. The Blackhawks know it. Everyone with a hint of logic knows it.
Having done nothing whatsoever — other than earn the NHL’s Rookie of the Month award for November, that is — and with a supportive family that has also done nothing whatsoever, Bedard was unwittingly hurled headfirst into the Corey Perry saga by social media.
Rampant rumors lacking a shred of truth — or even a shred of believability — that his family was involved in the misconduct that led to Perry’s contract termination earlier this week have nonetheless piled even more scrutiny upon him as an 18-year-old just settling into the NHL.
Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson had to hold back tears Tuesday, and while the factual aspects of the Perry situation were surely disconcerting for him by themselves, his emotions seemed to be stemming even more from the entirely undeserved negative impact this has had on Bedard.
And Perry, in his apology statement Thursday, also went out of his way to mention he’s “sickened by the impact this has had on others” and clarify that “in no way did this involve any of my teammates or their families.”
And yet Bedard, in his first time back in Western Canada — where he grew up and where he played his junior hockey — since joining the Hawks, was nonetheless confronted by repeated questions about the matter by Winnipeg-based reporters Friday.
“[When] you’ve got the attention on you, stuff’s going to happen,” Bedard said. “Whether you did nothing or you’re not involved in the situation at all, somehow it’s all about you. That’s not fair, but that’s how life works.”
He grew increasingly uncomfortable — and understandably so — with every ensuing question, but he continued to handle them with maturity nonetheless.
“I don’t need to answer any more questions about this stuff,” he said. “Obviously, it’s all just a bunch of ‘BS’ on the internet. It’s of course [had] an effect on myself and my family, but who cares. It’s out of our control and it’s all just fake, made-up stuff.
And his third response: “It’s whatever, like I said. Stuff gets out there and people want to make jokes. Obviously, what happened with [Perry] is serious, and the first concern is he’s OK and his family. It’s not great, but it’s out of our control. I don’t need to talk too much further on it.”
This story will be updated.