Bedard legacy begins with strong showing at Blackhawks development camp

CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard has yet to play a minute of hockey in an NHL game, but the center, selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is being compared to former top picks who have gone on to do great things in the League.

He's heard the talk of him being the next Sidney Crosby, who was taken No. 1 in 2005 by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Connor McDavid, who went No. 1 to the Edmonton Oilers in 2015. And then there is the talk he will follow in the footsteps of Patrick Kane, who was chosen No. 1 by the Blackhawks in 2007 and helped lead Chicago to three Stanley Cup championships.

But Bedard only wants to compare himself to one player.

"I mean, obviously it's a huge honor to have my name in the same sentence as those guys with anything, but I'm Connor Bedard, I'm not someone else," he said at the Blackhawks development camp last week. "So I'm trying to create my own path and be the best player I can be and not try to compare myself to other guys."

Bedard, who turns 18 on July 17, is off to a flying start on that path, having showed just what he's made of during Blackhawks development camp, which began two days after he was taken in the draft.

The Chicago prospects were not on the ice during this development camp. Instead, they spent the week partaking in other activities. Outside of gym workouts, they took boxing lessons -- not trying to land punches on each other but rather to improve their balance. They also worked on target practice with pucks, learned breathing exercises from former Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya to utilize in games and workouts, and played spikeball, a 2-on-2 game similar to volleyball.

Bedard made an impression with other prospects, especially with his work ethic in the various camp exercises.

"Everyone wanted to show him up or get back at him, but he was right there knocking at the door, letting you know that he was going to compete with you each night," said forward Colton Dach, Chicago's second round (No. 62) pick in the 2021 NHL Draft who also played with Bedard for Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in January.

"It was unreal to see a kid with that much of a skillset. Just the way he carries himself off the ice is something I took away from that tournament," Dach said. "Everything he does on the ice, he's 10 times better off the ice. He's such a good kid, he wants to get better, he wants to prove he can be the best player."

It's hard not to place huge expectations on Bedard, perhaps the most hyped No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft since McDavid, who, in his eight NHL seasons has won the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player three times, the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading point-scorer five times and the Rocket Richard Trophy as the leading goal-scorer once. In 569 games, he has 850 points (303 goals, 547 assists).

Bedard led the Western Hockey League in goals (71), points (143), shots on goal (360), points per game (2.51) and goals per game (1.25) in 57 regular-season games with Regina last season. He also tied for the WHL lead in assists (72) and game-winning goals (11).

Though the expectations on Bedard are high and the Blackhawks are a team in transition having traded away Kane last season and cutting ties with longtime captain Jonathan Toews, the rookie will have plenty of veteran help this season.

Two days before the draft, Chicago added forwards Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall in a trade with the Boston Bruins, and then, on the second day of the draft, acquired forward Corey Perry from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Regardless, given Bedard's own maturity and ability, the Blackhawks see him making the transition well.

"Everybody knows who he is and sees him and he's going to have the No. 1 pairing against him," Chicago coach Luke Richardson said "But a guy who has the drive like he does, I think that's going to push him to be even better.

"(He's) not really afraid of what he's going to go up against but definitely there are going to be adjustments for him. The coaching staff will do everything we can to prepare him for that, but internal conversations with players and peers who have that experience, like Nick and Taylor and Corey, will go a long way."

Coincidentally, Bedard's first NHL regular-season game could come against Crosby and the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Oct 10. Crosby, whom Bedard has called his idol, is a three-time Stanley Cup winner and the gold standard for centers in the NHL.

The Blackhawks feel Bedard is up to any challenge.

"He's a very humble kid and he's played in pressure situations," Chicago director of amateur scouting Mike Doneghey said at the draft. "He's won two gold medals in the world juniors. He's won awards. He's very good at silencing the outside noise and he just goes about his business.

"At every level he's played at, he's been able to exceed expectations. He's got to get acclimated to playing with men, and Kyle (Davidson, Blackhawks general manager) and Norm (Maciver) and Jeff (Greenberg, associate GMs) will get those players around him. Once he gets acclimated, he'll just continue to grow."