17-Year-Old Phenom Connor Bedard Drafted First Overall

Rejoice, Blackhawks fans! The golden boy is coming home.

To kick off a two-day extravaganza at the 2023 NHL Draft Wednesday night, GM Kyle Davidson announced the news we all saw coming: Connor Bedard is a Blackhawk.

The Blackhawks and Davidson didn’t hesitate and took one of the best prospects of all time in the franchise’s second-ever top pick. The first, which came in 2007, turned out pretty well, as it was used on nine-time All-Star Patrick Kane. Now, exactly four months after Kane was dealt to the Rangers in a trade deadline blockbuster, Chicago believes it has its next superstar center.

That belief is far from baseless, as Bedard is one of the best, if not the best, prospects we’ve ever seen. He was the first player in WHL history to be given exceptional status to play major junior hockey at age 15. He’s made good on the league’s vote of confidence over the past three seasons, culminating last year in 143 points in 57 games for the Regina Pats. His performance led to numerous awards, including the CHL's top prospect award, the leading scorer award, and the David Branch CHL Player of the Year Award, making him the first player ever to win all three.

He’ll come into the league as one of the best shooters at the professional level, with a unique pulling motion to his shot that makes it almost impossible for opposing goaltenders to defend. He has great speed and handling and is a true playmaker like no one we’ve ever seen. At the NHL Scouting Combine, he only came in at 5’9.75”, 185 lbs., but looked very lean and strong.

There’s no such thing as a “sure thing” when it comes to draft prospects, but Bedard is probably the closest thing to a sure thing there has been in quite some time. Don’t expect Davidson and his staff to waste any time signing him this summer, as his presence alone is a huge win in one of the country’s biggest sports markets. Bedard is good for business, evidenced by the $5.2 million in season ticket sales the Blackhawks made less than a day after winning the NHL Draft Lottery.

Connor Bedard will step in and look to lead this team from day one, and all eyes in Chicago are already pointed in his direction. While fans may be tempted to look ahead to what the future could hold for this young team led by their newest star, it’s important to revel in this huge win for Chicago sports. After all, a holiday like Connor Bedard Day doesn’t come around very often. Enjoy it, Blackhawks fans, because it’s official! Bedard is headed to Chicago.