Connor Bedard: highlights, scouting report and biography

Every now and then an athlete has the ability not just to change their sport, but the entire sports world. The kind of athlete that put their team, their league and their sport at the forefront of headlines and highlights for years to come. The Chicago Blackhawks and the NHL will be hoping that Connor Bedard will have that kind of impact over the next decade and change.

Face of the future in the NHL?

To the surprise of no one, Chicago took the former Regina Pats center with the first pick of the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday night. Many have called him a generational talent, which is an awful lot to put on the shoulders of a 17 year old kid who is on his way to a historic franchise in a major market.

The pressure will be prevalent, but Bedard’s resumé speaks for itself. He is coming off a year in which he tallied 143 points (71 goals and 72 assists) in 52 Canadian Hockey League games. He won top scorer, top prospect and Player of the Year in the league while lighting it up on the international stage. In the World Junior Championship he had 23 points to lead the tournament after scoring nine goals and dishing 14 assists.

While many are already projecting Bedard to be a superstar in his rookie year, the North Vancouver native is keeping humble, and has a bit more modest of goals coming into next year. “First of all, I want to make the team. That’s the No. 1 goal. I want to have an impact on the ice and in the room, to be a teammate and give my all every day. Those are some things I can control,.” Said the CHL’s reigning Player of the Year. With highlights like these you can’t help but understand the hype over Bedard.

So what makes him such a special player? His power and accuracy scoring goals is unmatched for a kid of his age, but as a center he can handle the puck and knows how to get his teammates goals once the focus is turned to him.

Chi town’s new Golden Boy?

“We’ll see. We’ll let him figure that out,” said Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson, when asked about his expectations for Bedard. “He’s a pretty special player, a very special person. We’ll let him determine how special that first season is.”

Chicago is coming off their worst season since early this century going just 26-49-7 this past season, finishing last in the Central Division of the Western Conference. Bedard wasn’t born the last time the Blackhawks had that bad of a season back in 2004. The 17 year old has however seen Chicago lift three Stanley Cup trophies since then and hopes to bring the city back to the promise land.

“Growing up, they were going on their runs, winning [Stanley] Cups. You see the United Center going crazy and all of Chicago getting behind them. I’m so happy to part of the Blackhawks organization.”