Before Connor Bedard had taken the ice for the Blackhawks, the 18-year-old hockey phenom’s No. 98 jersey had already taken over the Windy City, and beyond.
Hockey romance is a thriving literary subgenre, but some of its fans on TikTok are creating content that blurs the line between fictional players and real-life ones, dividing the community.
Wirtz assumed control of the Blackhawks after his father’s death in 2007. He helped bring the team to prominence, but the mishandling of an assault accusation dimmed that success.