First things first, Connor Bedard is not to blame.

He is going to sign on the dotted line and reach his dream of playing in the NHL. But there is always going to be a cloud around the team that is expected to draft him and rightfully so.

Ahead of the draft lottery, the Chicago Blackhawks held the third-best odds to win it all, so there was always going to be a chance that this would happen.

But there never should have been to begin with. In 2021, the Blackhawks were fined $2 million for their involvement in covering up the sexual assaults of two former players for more than a decade.

Two million dollars, that’s it. That was the only consequence Chicago faced. The team and the NHL failed Kyle Beach, also referred to as John Doe 1 in the case, and the others involved in the sexual assault. Not only did they cover up the assaults, they gave glowing reviews of former video coach Brad Aldrich as he moved on to another job that involved minors. Aldrich went on to be involved in another sexual assault, this time with one of the high school hockey players he volunteered to coach. He pleaded guilty to these accusations. Aldrich also faced two sexual assault allegations while working as an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) University. He was not prosecuted on those charges, however.

To make matters worse for the NHL, other teams have been handed far worse punishments for far less heinous actions. In August 2020, the Arizona Coyotes lost their 2021 first-round draft pick and 2020 second-round pick when they were accused of holding pre-draft workouts. After a drawn-out saga in March 2014, the New Jersey Devils were fined $3 million and lost first and third-round draft picks when they signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a deal that was legal at the time.

This was the NHL saying that covering up a sexual assault was not as bad as testing athletes before the combine or signing a player to a contract that was allowed at the time. And by doing so, they allowed the Blackhawks to carry on as if nothing happened.

After the Blackhawks were awarded the top spot in the 2023 NHL Draft, they have made over $5 million and counting in ticket revenue. They’ve recouped over $3 million more than the fine they were given back in 2021. Since the league decided not to hold the Blackhawks truly responsible for the cover up, they will now reap the benefits that come with having a generational talent on their roster for years to come.

Again, this is not a Bedard problem. This is an NHL problem for allowing the Blackhawks to even have the opportunity to be in this position. The problem for Bedard will be the cloud that looms over him by simply being a part of the organization. He has widely been viewed as one of the best prospects of the last 10 years. He brings excitement wherever he goes.

It’s a shame that what is expected to be a bright future for Bedard will always be remembered for a result that never should have happened.