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The Connor Bedard era has begun in Chicago.
After months of speculation, the Blackhawks selected Canadian center Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League with the top pick of the NHL Draft.
Bedard had long been the top prospect of this year's draft class.
He was honored as the International Ice Hockey Federation’s male player of the year after representatives from 22 countries decided he was the top young prospect in the world.
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Connor Bedard speaks to the media on the red carpet prior to the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena June 28, 2023, in Nashville. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
The Blackhawks hadn't picked first overall since 2007, when they selected future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane, who played 16 years in Chicago and won three Stanley Cups.
"We'll let him figure that out," GM Kyle Davidson told ESPN after making the pick official. "He's a very special player, very special person. We'll let him determine how special the first season is."
Bedard, just 17 years old, has been turning heads after recording 143 points in 57 regular-season games in the CHL with the Pats during the 2022-23 season. Bedard led the league in points, finishing first in goals and tied for first in assists on his way to being named the WHL player of the year and the CHL’s player of the year, top prospect and top scorer, the first player to do so.
Bedard has also been a key member of Team Canada, helping his country win gold in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. He led the tournament with nine goals and 14 assists.
Top prospect Connor Bedard speaks to the media prior to Game 2 of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena June 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
He may stand at just 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, but three seasons in the WHL produced 134 goals and 137 assists for 271 points.
Bedard is expected to slot right into the Blackhawks’ depth chart, which is starting to improve after Davidson made a move with the Boston Bruins to acquire Taylor Hall as a stop-gap winger to help upgrade the forwards around Bedard.
The expectations are high, but Bedard has shown an ability to rise to the occasion even at such a young age. The NHL will be his stiffest competition to date, and he will likely get his first taste of the league when he faces the Pittsburgh Penguins and his idol, Sidney Crosby, Oct. 10 in the opening game of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Forward Connor Bedard (98) of the Regina Pats skates for Team Red during the 2023 Kubota CHL Top Prospects Game practice at the Langley Events Centre Jan. 25, 2023, in Langley, British Columbia. (Dennis Pajot/Getty Images)
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With Bedard officially in a Blackhawks sweater, Chicago can focus on its next picks in the draft, which include the 19th overall selection in the first round.