BLOG: Bedard, Reichel Shine in First Scrimmage 

In the Chicago Blackhawks first scrimmage on Monday morning, Connor Bedard and Lukas Reichel shined throughout the two period sessions where they recorded two goals each. 

While they only played one scrimmage instead of an actual game, Seth Jones noticed some positives throughout the mini contest. For him, it can give a glimpse into the young talent that can flourish on the ice and help grow their game this season. 

“We just did one scrimmage, but you can see there's a little bit more talent on the ice when it comes to young guys,” Jones said. “Everyone, I think, wants to step up and be that guy and take that role quicker.”

Not only does it allow players to catch some action before the team’s preseason opener against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, but it allows veteran players to see the talents of the prospects that can potentially play throughout this upcoming season. 

For Jason Dickinson, who the Blackhawks acquired a few games into the 2022-23 season, this gives him an early idea of what players can provide once they receive a callup. 

“Last year, guys would get called up and as I had no clue who it was or what to expect from them,” Dickinson said. “So, it's nice that I got a little bit of a familiarity with them now rather than trying to figure it out midseason.”

Despite a slight mistake in the defensive zone early on, head coach Luke Richardson felt that Bedard recovered quickly to get the puck back into the offensive zone. Now, the second year head coach looks forward to see what the team can do in their second scrimmage on Tuesday. 

“They were they were good,” Richardson said. “I thought Connor had the one kind of, I'd say it's a funny hiccup and, in his D-zone there, but he got the puck back and put it in the other net. I thought those guys finished some plays, I thought Taylor and Nick had a couple of good chances at the net. I thought it was a good start and looking forward to seeing more of it.”