Happy 18th birthday to the myth, the legend, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft: Connor Bedard. The coming year will see him take his talents to the Windy City, where he’ll begin one of the more anticipated professional hockey careers in recent memory — if not ever. He started celebrating his birthday with a significant announcement. The Blackhawks announced Bedard has signed his entry-level contract.
āBeing drafted by an Original Six team has been such a surreal experience and I couldnāt be more thrilled to be a part of this teamās future,ā Bedard said in the team release. āThe Blackhawks orgšanization and the city of Chicago have such a rich sports history and Iām honored to be a part of it.ā
– Sign your contract on your birthday āļø – Take some fam pics āļø – Get a solo pic āļø š„³
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks)
With the news that Bedard got the bag for his birthday, let’s look back a little less than one month to the moment Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson, surrounded by ownership, head coach Luke Richardson and other executives, stepped to the podium to announce the first overall pick for just the second time in the history of the organization. This was a moment many had hoped would happen, but the odds were against the Blackhawks until they won the draft lottery in May. And this is a moment that will undoubtedly stand as one of the more significant for the franchise’s future.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jjflKH-4kc
During development camp, Bedard sat down with Pat Boyle from NBC Sports Chicago to talk about a number of topics. As I mentioned earlier, Drake can keep his bandwagon fandom to himself. Keep that energy in Toronto. But I love listening to Bedard talk about his work ethic. THAT is what makes him different — and special. He’s a gifted player, but he’s also driven to be the best. Turning pro officially on Monday means he can now put those talents and that drive to work on the ice in a Blackhawks sweater.
“Don’t set the bar too low. Because he sets the bar high.” That’s what Craig Button had to say about expectations for Bedard’s rookie season. Button’s been around the game for a long time, and has been incredibly complimentary of Bedard throughout his pre-draft process. In the interview below, he points out that the last player to completely dominate a World Junior tournament the way Bedard did this past winter was Wayne Gretzky. Is that a lofty comparison? Sure. Absolutely. But the numbers support the comment — and the hype.
We talked to on the latest NHL Draft Class about what the expectations for Bedard could be this season. — Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK)
One of Bedard’s teammates this season who was also drafted first overall had some strong comments over the weekend about coming to Chicago to help turn the rebuild up a level. Taylor Hall might start the season on a line with Bedard after he was acquired (with Nick Foligno) from the Boston Bruins. He knows this is a completely different scenario than he was in with the Bruins, who were the best regular-season team in NHL history last year. But he also know this is a unique opportunity to both prove he can still be a top-six forward and help a young team grow into a winner once again.
“At this point in our careers, I can say for myself, that’s really exciting just building something from the ground up, being a part of that establishing a culture and having some young guys around you to push you is never a bad thing, either.”
I also love love love this quote from Richardson in the story about Hall bringing his experience, skill and leadership to the Blackhawks:
“Just being in places where he’s been over the last few years, he’s moved around a few teams and I think landing in Boston was probably a great spot for him to learn from guys like [Patrice] Bergeron, [David] Krejci and those guys,” Richardson said. “His dynamic speed and offense are going to help our team and guys like Connor [Bedard].”
Read more ā¬ļø
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks)
Bedard and Hall are just beginning their journeys with the Chicago Blackhawks, but the organization has been around for almost 100 years; they’ll celebrate their centennial in 2026. The Bruins are celebrating their century anniversary this year and are putting together an all-time 20-man roster. So over the weekend I put together my all-time lineup for the Blackhawks. 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders are on the squad. Who made my lists? And who’s on yours? Let me know who you would have subbed in!
This morning we wrap up our all-time roster with the netminders š„
Who are your two all-time Chicago goaltenders? — Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks)
And Friday we shared the 12 forwards who made our all-time lineup.
Who's on your list? — Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks)
Finally, the Blackhawks aren’t the only team in town announcing contracts with recent draft picks on Monday. The Cubs jumped into the feel good scene with deals for their picks from this summer’s draft. Love to see it!
Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the and is the author of three books about the Blackhawks: (Triumph Books),"10š ŗā0 Things Blackhawks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" š (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads at @The1Tą¹ab
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