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Every 10–15 years, the NHL gets a new face of the company. Recently, it went from Sidney Crosby to Connor McDavid, and soon enough it’ll be Connor Bedard.

The Chicago Blackhawks star forward is set to become the next face of the NHL. Due to a recent endorsement deal, it looks like things may get a bit tense.

With Bedard recently signing with Gatorade and the NHL recently signing Bodyarmor as their new hydration sponsor. Things could get very interesting, very fast.

For Bedard, signing with Gatorade is a huge deal. Traditionally, only the top Canadian athletes sign with the hydration company. The deals tend to be lucrative with marketing campaigns.

Many around the hockey world are left wondering what NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is thinking about this. It will most likely create tension between the NHL and future face of the league, Connor Bedard.

The sense around the NHL is that Commissioner Bettman is not a fan of the signing. The thought is that if one of the games top stars signs with a competitor to one of your top sponsors, it could negatively affect business.

Which is something everyone knows Bettman won’t stand for, which begs the question, What can he truly do about Bedard’s new endorsement deal?

Only time will tell how things plan out between both parties, but it wouldn’t be overly shocking if the NHL makes things harder on Bedard to become the face of the NHL.