Brenden Dillon's hit on Connor Bedard prompts strong response from ex-NHL coach over targeting star players

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Feb 24, 2024 15:58 GMT

In a recent game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Winnipeg Jets, an incident involving Connor Bedard drew attention when Anthony Beauvillier, a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Blackhawks, jumped in to defend Connor Bedard after a hit by Brenden Dillon.

The focal point of the topic was discussed in a video shared on Blackhawks Talk, where the response to Dillon's hit became a subject of discussion.

A reporter asked Tony Granato, a former NHL coach, about teams targeting their best players.

"I want to piggyback off of that because as a former coach, do you go after their best player or do you go after Dylan?"

Granato responded with strategic insight, suggesting a method to address such situations within the game.

"You tell Dylan, you say, hey, listen, because you do that, say, you're Felino. You go up to Dylan, say, hey, I'd love to beat you up and fight you, but I'm not going to do it.

"I'm going to pick on the best player, I am going to go after (Kyle) Connor. I am going to go after (Nikolaj) Ehlers ... I am going to pick somebody out, and I am going to make them pay for what you did to Connor (Bedard)," Granato said.

"And then You do it infront of their whole bench so they all hear it. You make sure their coach hears it. You make sure everybody else hears it," Granato added.

"Then you got to follow it up with something, not just a bark. You got to follow up with a cross-checker, a good finish... You let them know that, hey, that ain't happening to Connor Bedard."

Granato highlighted the need for a physical response to reinforce the message and protect the targeted player.

Granato thinks Connor Bedard's situation is a lesson for Blackhawks' future

When questioned about the potential impact of such actions in a close game, Granato acknowledged the challenge but stressed the broader perspective, saying:

"But where the Blackhawks are right now, this is, again, lessons for the future on how to build a team and pull each other."

He drew from his own playing experience, recalling times when he played with Gretzky, and his role was to deter opponents from targeting the star player, similar to Connor Bedard's situation.

"I remember when I played with Gretz, one of my jobs was to be that guy to make everybody else on the other team, Matt," Granato said. "So I did a lot of that. And as soon as they started to go after Gretzky a little bit, what did I have to do? I had to stop. Marty, I need you. Exactly. Now you got it."

The coach emphasized the importance of team unity and players stepping up to protect their star players in critical moments.