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.
By Chris Cerullo 2 days ago
Training camps haven’t even started yet, but Connor Bedard is already making headlines.
Bedard won’t make his regular-season debut for Chicago until October 10th, but he joined fellow prospects in St. Paul, Minnesota for the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. He notched a hat trick Saturday in his very first game in a Blackhawks uniform in Chicago’s 5-0 victory over St. Louis.
By Katie Adler 2 weeks ago
What does it take to be considered a generational talent and be the unanimous number one overall selection in the NHL Draft? Apparently, never touching a Big Mac and french fries.
Connor Bedard, who the Chicago Blackhawks made the first pick in the 2023 draft, has never once eaten fast food in his life. How do we know this information? His mother Melanie revealed the news in an interview on NHL.com last March.
By Chris Cerullo 2 weeks ago
ARLINGTON, VA– 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard spent Tuesday at the Capitals’ practice facility as a participant in the NHLPA Rookie Showcase. Though he’ll be playing nearly 600 miles away in Chicago, Bedard has ties to DC through friends Alexander Suzdalev and Andrew Cristall.
Suzdalev shared a line with Bedard for much of the 2022-23 season with the Regina Pats, while Cristall and Bedard met as children while playing in Vancouver and now play in a roller-hockey league together.
Both players earned a shout-out during Bedard’s press conference Tuesday, where the Blackhawk-to-be highlighted the skills he’s gotten to see up close.
By Katie Adler 4 weeks ago
ARLINGTON, VA — The Washington Capitals’ practice facility, MedStar Capitals Iceplex, played host to the 2023 NHLPA Rookie Showcase on Tuesday.
The event brought many of the league’s best prospects and rookies to the DC area so that Upper Deck could take photographs of the players for their first NHL trading cards. 2023 Connor Bedard, the first overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, headlined the event.
During his session with the press, Bedard, who idolizes Sidney Crosby, took several questions on the Penguins captain’s longtime rival, Alex Ovechkin. Bedard believes Ovi will eventually pass Wayne Gretzky and capture the NHL’s goals record.
The NHLPA Rookie Showcase is returning to the area in September.
According to PHNX’s Craig Morgan, the 13th iteration of the event will be held on on September 5 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia.
Thirty-five NHL prospects and rookies are scheduled to attend, highlighted by first overall pick Connor Bedard, the Blue Jackets’ Adam Fantilli, and Sabres’ prospect Matthew Savoie. The Capitals’ lone representative will be 2023 Calder Cup champion defenseman with the Hershey Bears, Vincent Iorio.
By Ian Oland 1 month ago
The NHL’s first overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft is officially signed.
Connor Bedard, billed to be the NHL’s next generational talent, signed his three year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 17, 2023 — his 18th birthday.
Bedard put pen to paper at Chicago’s Fifth Third Arena, the Blackhawks’ practice facility.
The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft is being held live at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 7 pm. The draft can be viewed live on TV on TNT, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports.
Super phenom Connor Bedard will likely go first overall to the Chicago Blackhawks but how the rest of the first round goes is still a mystery. The Washington Capitals will be selecting 8th overall.
The big story of the first round outside of Bedard is where Russian winger Matvei Michkov will end up. Could it be with the Caps?
Let’s get drafting.
By Chris Cerullo 3 months ago
The NHL on TNT analyst panel has brought the personality during the 2023 postseason. We’ve seen Wayne Gretzky discuss his underwear habits, Paul Bissonnette compare Radko Gudas to Chewbacca, and the Toronto Maple Leafs roasted on national TV.
The hijinks haven’t stopped just because the league’s final playoff series has arrived. Before Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final, the panel hosted special guest Connor Bedard, AKA: the soon-to-be first-overall pick 2023 NHL Draft selection.
Bedard didn’t disappoint with his appearance. Just ask Biz, who was on the receiving end of a cold one-liner from the usually boring superstar prospect.
By Chris Cerullo 4 months ago
The Connor Bedard sweepstakes are over.
The Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery and will have the opportunity to make Bedard the first overall selection.
The Blackhawks came into Monday night’s lottery with the third-best odds to select first and leaped over both the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Anaheim Ducks.
It will be the second time in franchise history that Chicago will kick off the draft after taking Patrick Kane first in 2007.
By Chris Cerullo 5 months ago
