CHICAGO — When Connor Bedard decided not to play for Canada at the World Championships last May, it seemed to most in the hockey world like one last blow to his faint hopes of making his home country’s Olympic roster. After all, he was left off the 4 Nations roster, and it wasn’t a particularly difficult call, as Bedard had been merely very good, not great, in his first two NHL seasons. Worlds seemed like one last chance to show both his skill and his commitment to Hockey Canada.

But Bedard wasn’t thinking about Milan when he made that decision. He was thinking about Chicago. Preparing for the upcoming NHL season was more important than laying the groundwork for Milan.

Not that the two had to be mutually exclusive, of course.

“I have a good relationship with Hockey Canada,” Bedard told The Athletic back in June. “They were really respectful of my decision and understood. It wasn’t an easy decision not to (go). But if I have a chance to make the Olympic team, I’m going to have to have a pretty good start to the year. So my focus is on the Blackhawks, and if I can play my way onto that team, that’d be unreal. But I have to play my way on.”

Well, Bedard didn’t have a “pretty good” start to the year. He had an incredible one. And with each jaw-dropping snipe, each no-look assist, each run-of-the-mill multi-point game, he seemed to not only be playing his way on to Team Canada, but into its top six.

Then he took a faceoff with 0.9 seconds left in a game against St. Louis on Dec. 12, messing up his shoulder and his Olympic hopes. Unless he finds his way onto the team as an injury replacement, Bedard will have to wait until Nice, France, in 2030.

It’s hard to call it an outright snub because Bedard is injured, and his timetable for a return is nebulous at best. He did return to the ice on Monday, skating and stickhandling — but noticeably not shooting, a joint decision between him and the team — before practice. But Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said there had been no change to the plan to re-evaluate him after the new year. Bedard is likely at least a couple of weeks away from returning.

But given Bedard was among the top five in the league in scoring when he was injured — and is still 15th overall despite missing eight games and counting — his absence is notable all the same.

The most hyped No. 1 draft pick since Connor McDavid — if not ever — Bedard had 22 goals in 68 games as a rookie, and 23 goals in 82 games last season. His high profile as a prospect inevitably drew heightened scrutiny, and his critics pointed to a minus-80 combined rating over his first two seasons, both with abysmal Blackhawks teams. Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson didn’t get him any elite linemates over the summer — until he was injured, he played mostly with journeyman André Burakovsy and rookie Ryan Greene — but Bedard took a leap into superstardom anyway.

He had 19 goals and 25 assists in just 31 games, with 13 multi-point games — five times posting three or more points. He ran the Blackhawks’ power play with aplomb, started creating more offense for himself with daring dashes through opposing defenses, and perhaps most notably, drastically improved his defensive effort. He became more physical, more aggressive along the wall and more eager to backcheck. And for the plus-minus watchers, he was a solid plus-8.