CHICAGO — Connor Bedard is not going anywhere.

The star center on Saturday signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, the team announced. The new deal goes through the 2030-31 season.

“Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a team statement. “He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice. Connor’s strong work ethic and determination to always improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core, and we’re excited for the incredible impact he’ll have in this next chapter of Blackhawks hockey.”

Bedard, who turned 21 on Friday, is coming off a strong 2025-26 season — his third in the NHL — in which he posted career highs with 75 points, 30 goals and 45 assists despite missing 13 games. He was in the Hart Trophy conversation before suffering a right shoulder injury in St. Louis and produced after his return.

Bedard will miss all of training camp and a month of the regular season at minimum as he heals from a mid-July surgery on his left shoulder after a fall in an offseason practice.

Despite the injuries, the contract is pen-to-paper proof of the Hawks’ belief to build a contender centered around Bedard. The forward is likely to be named the 37th captain in franchise history as he leads the youngest roster in the league into next season.

The 2025-26 season saw the Hawks trade away former captain Nick Foligno and alternates Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy in general manager Kyle Davidson’s youth movement. The Hawks finished 29-39-14, the second-worst record in the NHL, and missed the playoff for a sixth consecutive season and eighth in nine.

The Hawks didn’t do much adding in the offseason — their biggest move being the trade for 25-year-old defenseman Bowen Byram, who signed a six-year, $75 million extension July 1. They added left wing Cole Smith, 30, and defenseman Ian Cole, 37, in free agency.

The Hawks selected Bedard with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, making him the cornerstone of their rebuild. A native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Bedard made his NHL debut four months later.

He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie after totaling 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 68 games in 2023-24. He added 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists) in 82 games in 2024-25.

Bedard’s entry-level contract expired after last season, making him a restricted free agent.

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