TAKEAWAYS: Bedard Records Two Points in Preseason Debut

In his preseason debut on Thursday night, Connor Bedard connected with Andreas Athanasiou to help secure a 2-1 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues.

Prior to the game, the 18-year-old spoke to his dad where he thought about the “unreal” moment of skating on the United Center ice and what it could feel like. After the national anthem and the puck dropped, he felt ready to take in the moment. 

"It was good, it was a lot of fun to get out there," Bedard said. "Really cool moment going on the ice for the first time, obviously the anthem and everything."

The 2023 first overall pick finished the contest with two assists, over 20 minutes of ice time and nine shots on net. 

Head coach Luke Richardson thought that Bedard looked comfortable with the way he handled the puck but also the way he maintained his speed. From that alone, he knows that the young forward could adjust to an NHL level of play with his talent. 

"He just feels comfortable with that puck, like skating in traffic he's going to have no trouble playing with bigger guys in this league and stronger guys,” Richardson said. “He's got that special quality that he seems to find what he needs to do at the right time."

While he produced on the offensive side, Kevin Korchinski felt that Bedard’s skills within the defensive zone and how he understood the Blackhawks’ system. 

“He was the guy that was playing our system perfectly in the D-zone,” Korchinski said. “So that's something that kind of gets overshadowed.”

After the game, Bedard knew that he played well, but could also step up in other areas of his game. 

Overall, he wants to continue to find his way through the system and continue to build his strength with the defensive zone. 

“I felt good in systems, which was a good thing,” Bedard said. “In the D-zone, I felt pretty good and comfortable and stuff, but like I said I think I could do a lot better.”