Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard set to make his NHL debut
Chicago Blackhawks No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard will make his NHL debut when the puck drops on the new season Tuesday night.
The rookie is expected to be the team’s top line center when they face off against the Penguins. Bedard grew up idolizing Penguins Sidney Crosby, who he will go against in the opening face-off.
"Growing up, he was obviously my favorite player," Bedard said. "Getting that opportunity to start off is pretty sweet."
Bedard led the Blackhawks with five points during the preseason, scoring one goal and added four assists. His lone goal was an empty netter.
The 18-year-old has shown off his impressive skills during practice and during the preseason, which has the entire city of Chicago excited for the future superstar.
"He's going to be a big driver of our offense. He's going to be a big part of our team just walking in," said general manager Kyle Davidson. "As far as stat and goal totals, I really don't have a feel for that. But he's going to be a driver of impact for our team right away."
Last season, Bedard played for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, he scored 71 goals and had 143 points in 57 games.
When Bedard faces off against the Penguins and the rest of the NHL, he will quickly learn he is no longer in junior hockey. Davidson will temper expectations on his young stud but that doesn’t mean they won’t hold Bedard to a high standard.
"It's also up to us to temper expectations a little bit. This isn't junior hockey anymore; there's going to be a transition phase," Davidson said. "I think he gets that. He's not walking in here expecting to put up the same amount of points or goals as junior hockey. But he also holds himself up to a high standard and you also don't want to take that intensity away from a player because that's what makes him great."
The Blackhawks are in a transition after moving on from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews last season. Chicago has not made the playoffs since 2017.
Bedard will ultimately soak up the big moment as he prepares to become the face of the Blackhawks franchise on Tuesday night.
"I'm sure I will, yeah," Bedard said. "It's a big moment. In the end, for me, it's taking the anthem and their player announcement, their warmup and having that be the 'Oh my God' moment. Once the game starts, you focus on the game and not be starstruck as much. That first bit is going to be pretty crazy."
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