Why Connor Bedard isn't playing for Canada at IIHF World Championships

TL;DR

Connor Bedard will not participate in the IIHF World Championships for Canada despite being a top young player. His absence follows a missed opportunity to join the Olympic team.

Key points

Connor Bedard is a top young Canadian hockey player
He plays for the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL
Bedard missed out on making the Olympic team

Connor BedardChicago Blackhawks

Why Connor Bedard isn't playing for Canada at IIHF World Championships originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Connor Bedard is one of the best young Canadian hockey players in the NHL.

The Chicago Blackhawks center just missed out on making the Olympic team, which likely had him looking forward to this summer's IIHF World Championships.

It turns out Bedard won't get to play, though.

The news came out on Friday, and it's a bummer for Bedard.

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Why isn't Connor Bedard playing at IIHF Worlds?

This dates back to an injury Bedard sustained midway through the NHL season.

He hurt his shoulder on a faceoff, and it forced him to miss 12 games.

Bedard would come back and play the rest of the season, but he wasn't fully healthy.

"(Bedard) really wanted to go, but was told the best thing for next season was to rehab his injury and skip the event," NHL insider Elliotte Friedman wrote on X on Friday morning. "So that is the decision."

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Q&A

Why is Connor Bedard not playing for Canada at the IIHF World Championships?

Connor Bedard is not playing for Canada at the IIHF World Championships due to unspecified reasons following his recent disappointment of not making the Olympic team.

What team does Connor Bedard play for in the NHL?

Connor Bedard plays for the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL.

Did Connor Bedard make the Olympic team?

No, Connor Bedard missed out on making the Olympic team.