The Chicago Blackhawks centre is facing Vancouver for the first time since he dangerously hit Filip Chytil into the boards from behind last March 15 at Rogers Arena, concussing the Canuck with less than five minutes remaining in what was a blowout 6-2 win for the home team.
Chytil missed the rest of the season and the Canucks, without their top two centres, fell out of a playoff spot in the final month.
“I don’t know if anything has to happen tonight,†Dickinson said after the Blackhawks†morning skate at the United Center. “If it has to, it has to. I wasn’t trying to hide from (the hit). I saw some comments after the game that I was trying to hide from it. I got skipped over (on a line change) and then I look up at the clock and there’s two minutes left. It’s like, ‘Well, I guess my night’s over.†I get it, they’re not happy. You don’t want to see your teammate get hurt, so I respect that because I play the same way. I expect guys to play with integrity. And you know, I appreciate whatever has to come, has to come.â€
Co-leading the Canucks with three goals in four games, Chytil will face Dickinson tonight as Vancouver plays 24 hours after beating the Dallas Stars 5-3 to open a difficult five-game National Hockey League trip.
A bunch of Canucks angered by Dickinsonâ€s gratuitous hit seven months ago will also see him tonight.
“We just don’t love the hit,†Canuck Conor Garland said last March. “It’s 6-2 and the game’s pretty much over with. I understand Dickey’s got a job to do and be physical and do that kind of stuff. I just don’t love it, especially (against) one of our top guys and with where we are in the standings.â€
Winger Kiefer Sherwood said: “Heâ€s going to have to answer the bell next year. That was a dirty hit, unnecessary. And then he doesnâ€t have the (courage) to step on the ice afterwards.â€
Dickinson is one of the veteran leaders on the Blackhawks, who have started this season 2-2-1 and are desperate to take a step forward in Season 3 for generational star Connor Bedard of North Vancouver.
Dickinson spent a dismal 2021-22 campaign with the Canucks before a salary-dump trade to the Blackhawks allowed the 30-year-old to re-energize his career as a matchup centre.
“I’m glad to see he’s okay,†he said Friday of Chytil. “I don’t like that he got hurt. I don’t know about the hit; I didn’t get a call from the league, didn’t get a penalty on the play. Was it borderline? Sure, maybe. I try to play hard. I try to play with respect. I don’t want to hurt guys. Unfortunately, he did get hurt.â€
The Canucks will need to focus on beating the Blackhawks before they can worry about beating Dickinson.
Chicago is coming off an 8-3 road win Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues, who handled the Canucks 5-2 in Vancouver on Monday.
There has been a noticeable attitude change in Chicago with the arrival of new head coach Jeff Blashill.
“Winning is a funny thing,†Blashill said. “Nobody has the attitude that they want to lose. I guess a couple things we talked about was, one, when you look across the league at winning cultures, the best players do it right consistently. And so we’ve challenged our best players to play winning hockey. That’s not cheating for offence. That’s checking for your offence, checking and still being able to produce. And so that’s one area.
“And then, two, is just to create a high standard of what’s expected in terms of day-to-day work ethic, compete, attention to detail. Those things are extremely important, and I think that started in training camp.â€
And the buy-in from Bedard?
“Connor has been great,†Blashill said. “I can’t say enough good things about him as a person — his competitiveness, his want, to be a great player. He wants to win more than anything else. He wants to win more than score points. He wants to win more than anything, getting accolades. He just wants to win. And so he’s 100 per cent bought into it.â€
The 2023 first overall draft pick has two goals and six points in five games this season, including three assists in St. Louis.
And if youâ€ve watched the Blackhawks and think the projected superstar looks a step quicker, Bedard says he is.
The 20-year-old who grew up watching the Canucks said he made skating, the only component of his skillset that is not elite, the focus of his off-season training in B.C.
“I mean, that’s kind of what I tried to achieve, so I hope that it’s paid off,†Bedard told Sportsnet after the morning skate. “I feel good. I felt good coming into camp and I feel good now, so I think that’s something that’s benefited me.
“I think it just gives me more room, is the biggest thing. Maybe try to put guys on their heels. And then kind of my brain and talent can take over.
“I think I can get better in every area. (Former Canuck) Bo Horvatâ€s a guy I remember. I think even when he got drafted, it was kind of like, ‘This guy’s not a great skater.†And now maybe it’s one of his best attributes. You can always see examples of guys that have improved on everything, and I think youâ€ve always got to go into summer with a goal. And that was a big one of mine to maybe achieve, and hopefully I did.â€
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After winning the Calder Trophy in 2024, Bedard had 23 goals and 67 points in 82 games last season. Chicago went 25-46-11 and finished with 61 points, close to their horrendous average over the last four years. The Blackhawks havenâ€t made a non-pandemic playoffs since 2017.
“I think with Blash coming in, he’s instilled a sense of urgency in everybody,†Dickinson said. “Heâ€s kind of lit a fire under everybody to create a little bit of discomfort (because) we’ve been a little bit cushy with our mistakes the past couple of years. You could make these mistakes and you’d still get your ice time … and nobody really had to worry about their jobs all that much. So I think Blash has put a little bit of a fire there to say, ‘I don’t care who you are, what you’ve done.†There’s still respect, but it’s also earned.Â
“We want to be competitive. Winning now doesn’t necessarily mean winning the Cup now, but win games and make them matter now. If you go through five years of Bedsy (Bedard) just spinning his tires and losing games and playing meaningless hockey, how is he ever going to grow? Is he ever going to learn to play in those big moments?â€
The Canucks, who arrived at their Chicago hotel a little before 2 a.m., did not skate this morning.
Kevin Lankinen is expected to start in goal for Vancouver.
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