Former Blackhawks' Stanley Cup Champion Goes After Connor Bedard

Brent Sopel started his career in the NHL in 1996 with the Vancouver Canucks. But the defenseman would reach the pinnacle of his career in 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks where he'd win a Stanley Cup at the start of the team's dynasty.

While he only won one Stanley Cup in Chicago, he'd only stay in the NHL one more season as he'd with a KHL team.

He returned home to Chicago to play for the Wolves in the AHL in 2014. However, winning one Stanley Cup as a depth defenseman doesn't make you an expert on how a centerman should play his game.

Today he inserted himself in the conversation about Connor Bedard after Mark Messier and P.K. Subban floated the idea of benching him yesterday.

Sopel would call out Bedard, and of course, he wouldn't stop deriding the 1st overall pick in 2023, even after Blackhawks personality Mario Tirabassi contradicted him.

It appears that his criticism regarding Bedard's play focuses on his backchecking, which he feels doesn't exist, and thinks 98 is a selfish player despite the 1C tallying 30 assists this season.

While Messier and Subban offered a progressive way of dealing with Bedard's issues, Sopel relied on a reactionary discourse that isn't in touch with reality.

Considering the team has worked on making sure Bedard is set up to shoot the puck--after primarily being a playmaker at the start of the season--the idea that he's selfish is complete fiction.

Sopel retired from professional hockey in 2015 and played only 659 games in the NHL scoring 218 points (44G, 174 A) and has only one Stanley Cup to his name.