NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Connor Bedard spent the last two months trying to not think about Chicago, not research Chicago, not autograph anything Chicago-related and generally not “jinx myself or anything.”
Well, he can read all about deep-dish pizza and Grant Park now.
The Hawks officially made Bedard the cornerstone of their new era and the face of hockey in Chicago at the NHL draft Wednesday, selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be with my family and friends and get to hear my name be called and experience that, especially with such a storied organization,” Bedard said.
“Growing up, obviously that was when they were going on their runs, winning [Stanley] Cups, and I was watching a lot of them. You see the United Center going crazy and all of Chicago getting behind them. [Being] Original Six and [with] so much history there, I really can’t put it into words. I’m so excited to be part of the organization.”
The moment the Blackhawks picked Connor Bedard, live: pic.twitter.com/NGYwoLzzRd
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) June 28, 2023
The Hawks first met Bedard at last year’s draft in Montreal, when his agents brought him in to meet with a few NHL teams.
They kept only lightly in touch with him this past season, mainly through Western Canada scout Colin Fraser. Bedard himself admitted he was too busy during the season — as he singlehandedly carried Canada to a gold medal in the world junior championships, then produced 163 points in 64 games as a center for the WHL’s Regina Pats — to talk too much to anyone.
But after winning the lottery, the full Hawks staff — including general manager Kyle Davidson and scouting director Mike Doneghey — held a long meeting and dinner with Bedard at the scouting combine in Buffalo earlier this June.
Both sides came away feeling comfortable with their strong relationship. Bedard’s talent is astounding, as any highlight reel quickly demonstrates, but his maturity and team-first attitude actually impressed Davidson most.
“[We] realized how humble and how hungry he is,” Davidson said. “To listen to him and [hear] how hard he wants to work and how he’s already working so hard and he’s so excited to get in the weight room and get back on the ice...it gets you fired up.”
Said Bedard: “It seems like incredible people [are] working there, and for them to ask me to be a part of that is so exciting. Them putting their faith in me with that pick, I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
The rebuild still has a long way to go before the Hawks become contenders again, but securing a superstar to build around is often the hardest part. The Hawks have now checked that box.
After nabbing another center in Oliver Moore with the No. 19 pick, the Hawks actually own the rights to three elite center prospects: Bedard, Moore and 2022 No. 13 pick Frank Nazar. Doneghey said he has “zero” concerns about the fact all three of them are under six feet tall and believes Bedard’s presence will ultimately bring out the best in all of them.
“He’s going to be able to drive our team when he gets acclimated,” Doneghey said. “He’s a player that you build around. Not only on the ice...but [also with] just the way he carries himself, the way his teammates respect him. He brings a lot of guys into the action.”
Bedard himself seems to have fully embraced the long road ahead, too.
He experienced a similar situation in Regina but became animated, and in doing so demonstrated his selflessness, when asked at the combine about turning around the two organizations
“I think [that comparison is] pretty unfair,” Bedard said then. “For me, going to Regina, I had a lot of good players with me, and I don’t think I was turning the franchise around. We were all trying to win games together.
“Wherever I end up, if I’m playing in the NHL, it’ll be the same thing. There’s no difference between guys on teams — you’re all in this together — so I don’t think I would think it at all like that.”
The rest of the top picks Wednesday proved much less predictable. The Ducks shocked the league by choosing Leo Carlsson over Adam Fantilli with the No. 2 pick, letting Fantilli fall to the Blue Jackets at No. 3.
After the Sharks took Will Smith at No. 4 and the Canadiens took top defenseman David Reinbacher at No. 5, the Coyotes shocked the league even more by using the No. 6 pick on Dmitri Simashev, a Russian defenseman most projected in the 15th-25th range.
That allowed enigmatic Russian forward Matvei Michkov to find a home with the Flyers at No. 7. Notably, no trades occurred during the first round for the first time since 2007.
