A teammate of Connor Bedard issued a blunt confession about the Chicago Blackhawks, amid a catastrophic NHL season.

© Derek Cain/Getty Images Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks walks to the dressing room prior to their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on November 16, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The Chicago Blackhawks continue their lackluster form during the 2024-25 NHL season, with embarrassing performances becoming common currency in Windy City. After the devastating 6-2 defeat to the Seattle Kraken, a key teammate of Connor Bedard voiced a bold, yet sincere statement.

The Blackhawks‘ campaign has been deeply disappointing. While expectations weren’t sky-high, Chicago still found a way to let down its fans during Bedard’s sophomore season. The future looks promising as the prospect pool develops into starting-caliber players, but the present remains unforgiving for the organization.

Chicago has 14 games remaining on its schedule, but unfortunately, there isn’t much for fans to look forward to. The Blackhawks are already on the brink of mathematical elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If they lose to the Los Angeles Kings on March 20, their postseason hopes will be officially extinguished—though not a soul in Chi-Town is saving a prayer for a playoff berth.

That defeated sentiment is ever-present at the United Center—not just in the bleachers and stands, but in the locker room as well. After the heart-wrenching, soul-crushing loss to the Kraken, defenseman Alex Vlasic made an honest confession that may serve as the final nail in the coffin for Bedard and the Blackhawks’ season.

Alex Vlasic #72 of the Chicago Blackhawks looks on against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at the United Center on January 11, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

“[The level of frustration] is probably the worst it’s been all year, to be honest,” Alex Vlasic stated postgame, via CHGO Blackhawks on X. “I think we’re trying to take steps as a group, and it feels like we’re taking one step forward, one step back. 

We’re not really making any progress as a team, and if we do we just kind of shoot ourselves on the foot. So, it’s frustrating to kind of just do the same thing over and over again for the whole year.”

Jason Dickinson doesn’t mince words

Vlasic’s comments followed team veteran Jason Dickinson’s statement after the embarrassing performance on home-ice against Seattle. Though Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi scored early in the game to take a 2-0 lead, it was all in vain as the team crumbled during the rest of the night.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s great for them that they got a goal, but we lose the game 6-2. What does it matter if we score on the power play or short handed? It doesn’t matter to me,” Dickinson firmly admitted postgame, via Chicago Tribune’s Phillip Thompson. “I don’t care. Let’s get our cookies on the power play, but let’s go win a freaking game.”

Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks looks on against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at the United Center on December 01, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

Time to face the hard truth

Dickinson went even further on his postgame comments, dropping an ince-cold reality bath to Bedard and the rest of the team.

“[This team is] a gritty one. We’re not a high-skilled team, we’re not a team that can play with a shootout mentality,” Dickinson added. “We are not going to take it to 8-6, 8-7, those are not games that we want to play. We got to get into a gritty match that we’re blocking every shot, we’re getting into bodies, forechecking, and turning pucks over: making it miserable. It’s not gonna be fun to win hockey games that way, but winning hockey games is a whole lot more fun than this, so I don’t care how we do it. I just wanna win.”