Connor Bedard has become the face of the Chicago Blackhawks after just one season in the NHL.
During that time, he won the Calder Trophy and became an NHL superstar. He has done that all while being 18 years old.
He also was the youngest All-Star ever, even though he did not get to skate in the game. That is a lot to accomplish considering he is still two years away from the legal drinking age in the States.
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) July 17, 2024
Patrick Kane, Connor McDavid, and Mario Lemieux were not even in the NHL at 18. Wayne Gretzky needed the WHL to merge with the NHL to play at 18. Sidney Crosby had 102 points during his rookie year in 2005-06 when he was 18.
Bedard should have had more than 61 points had he not missed six weeks with a fractured jaw. Still, it is impressive that he has showed up in the NHL and lived up the hype.
Bedard is a prodigy on the ice in every sense of the word. He is only going to get better and the Hawks are going to get better.
The Hawks adding Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen should upgrade the top line around him. Eventually, Frank Nazar III should be in the NHL, and that should boost the offensive skill around Bedard.
Bedard still has room to grow his game, and the nice thing is he has time on his side to grow it. He is 19 and will reach his second contract once he is at the legal drinking age.
It was the same benefit the Blackhawks got with Patrick Kane only; the Hawks got Bedard on their roster at 18 instead of 19. That is just another bonus and overlooked detail on Bedard’s rise up the superstar ladder.
