Connor Bedard is set to make his official debut on NHL ice.
The 18-year-old phenom will suit up for the Chicago Blackhawks’ preseason matchup against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night. Bedard, the 2023 first overall draft selection, already saw some prospect tournament action for Chicago, notching a hat trick, but has not yet played in an NHL preseason game.
LET’S GO ‼️ pic.twitter.com/0U1Dv132ig
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 28, 2023
“Yeah, I can’t wait,” Bedard told NHL.com’s Tracey Myers. “I think I’ve said this the whole time: I just want to play hockey. That’s what you want. You train so hard throughout the summer and every day, which is great, and you want to see where that gets you in the game.”
Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson has Bedard skating on the team’s top line with veteran wingers Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato. Hall is also a former first overall draft pick (2010) and has formed an early connection with his much younger peer.
“We’ve talked about it a bit, just areas we’d like to be and whatnot,” Bedard said. “He’s a special player and he’s been doing it in the League for a long time now. Just trying to read off him and take advice from him, watch him play and I can learn a lot of things.”
The young center has also been getting work on the team’s top power play unit alongside Hall, Donato, Seth Jones, and Corey Perry.
Chicago selected Bedard with the top pick after the North Vancouver native absolutely tore up the WHL with the Regina Pats. Bedard put up an astounding 143 points (71g, 72a) in just 57 games to become the first WHL player to hit the 140-point mark since 1995-96.
Bedard is no stranger to the spotlight. The Hockey News‘ Ken Campbell profiled Bedard when he was just thirteen, calling him “the future of hockey.” As a 15 year old, Bedard was granted “exceptional status” by Hockey Canada, allowing him to enter the CHL a year earlier than he normally would. The Pats made him the first overall selection at the WHL Bantam Draft in 2020, making him the league’s first-ever player with exceptional status.
The puck will drop on Bedard’s first foray into the NHL preseason at 8:30 pm ET. Bedard is expected to make his full NHL debut on October 10 against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
