Bedard impresses Blackhawks, not self, in strong preseason debut

CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard showed some great moves and had two assists in his first NHL preseason game, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled with his performance.

“I think I can be a lot better,” the center said after the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2-1 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues at United Center on Thursday.

His second assist set up forward Andreas Athanasiou’s goal on the rush 4:02 into overtime.

“I didn't think I personally played great,” Bedard said. “It's really good to get the win -- obviously preseason. Nothing's better than winning. I felt good in the systems, which is a good thing. In the [defensive] zone I felt pretty comfortable. But I think I can do a lot better.”

Well, when you’re the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and the most highly touted selection since Connor McDavid was taken No. 1 by the Edmonton Oilers eight years earlier, you’re going to have a high standard.

Bedard, who’s been tasked with helping the Blackhawks expedite their rebuild and return to the winning ways that led to Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015, 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.

Coach Luke Richardson had few complaints about the 18-year-old, who played 21:20, tied defenseman Wyatt Kaiser for the Blackhawks high in shots on goal with five and was 10-for-16 on face-offs.

“I thought he was good,” Richardson said. “I think he really wanted to score. There were a couple of times where I think he maybe dove in, maybe doubled up a few times in the third period and even in overtime once we got away with a 2-on-1 there. But he reads plays very well.

“He made an unbelievable pass on the winning goal. And we saw a lot of that. He just feels comfortable with that puck, like skating in traffic. He's going have no trouble playing with bigger guys in this league and stronger guys. He's got that special quality that he seems to find what he needs to do at the right time.”

Defenseman Kevin Korchinski said Bedard was great without the puck as well.

“The main takeaway was his defensive play,” he said. “He’s a guy who’s playing our system perfectly in the [defensive] zone. That’s something that gets overshadowed, you could say. So that was awesome to see.”

Bedard also showed how much he hates to leave the ice when he played a shift lasting 1:31 to start overtime.

“Yeah, I like hockey,” Bedard said to laughs. “I want to be on the ice, tried to circle the face-off dot a little bit. But I played 3-on-3 probably five, six days a week with everyone back home. So it's probably the most fun in my life. Yeah, I didn't want to get off.”

Bedard had a few scoring opportunities. He had a slick move at 3:36 of the first period when he entered the zone, dragged the puck around Blues forward Jake Neighbours in the left circle and fired a wrist shot, but Joel Hofer made the save.

He got his first point of the night when he deflected a pass from Korchinski on net. The rebound went to forward Philipp Kurashev, who scored for a 1-0 Chicago lead at 10:49 of the second period.

Even when Bedard didn’t get a shot on goal, the crowd noise rose with anticipation every time he touched the puck, especially when he skated up the ice with it.

He's expected to make his regular-season debut when the Blackhawks play their opener at the Pittsburgh Penguins, whose captain, Sidney Crosby, is Bedard’s childhood idol, on Oct. 10.

Bedard had three goals and an assist for the Blackhawks in their 5-0 win against the Blues at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 16. The game Thursday presented a different challenge, with Bedard facing bigger, faster, stronger players, many of whom will be in the NHL or American Hockey League this season.

Clearly, he was up to that challenge, even if he didn’t come away with a goal.

“I mean, of course you want to score, but I’m confident in myself and my ability and everything,” Bedard said. “For me, I can be hard on myself, but getting chances is a good thing. I had a few tonight, not as many as I would’ve liked, but I think that’s a positive whether it goes in the net or not. Obviously you want them to go in the net. For me, what I want to do is produce, but when you’re getting those chances and looks, it’s a positive.”