Bedard bags assist, win in 'awesome' NHL debut

PITTSBURGH — Connor Bedard did everything but score a goal in his NHL debut.

And the Chicago Blackhawks rookie still stole the show.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft made his much-heralded premiere Tuesday night and lived up to the billing while notching his first NHL point in Chicago’s 4-2 win over Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

If the game outcome was surprising — the draft lottery-winning Blackhawks used four different scorers to come back from a 2-0 deficit and top the veteran Penguins — Bedard’s smooth transition to the NHL was not. He was in the spotlight right away as the opening faceoff pitted Chicago’s 18-year-old phenom against his childhood idol in Crosby, the three-time Stanley Cup champion.

It was a quintessential welcome-to-the-NHL-kid moment. The result, however, did not favor Bedard.

“[I was] just trying to win it, and I failed miserably,” he said after the game. “But it was pretty cool. He’s a childhood hero of mine, like I’ve mentioned. It was a lot of fun.”

Bedard didn’t let the early loss affect his confidence. His on-ice performance already displays what has put him firmly in the generational talent category, and he finished the night with 21:29 ice time (leading all forwards), 5 shots on goal, 11 shot attempts (the second most in an NHL debut since 2009-10) and 1 assist.

He became the youngest player to earn a point in a season opener since Aleksander Barkov in 2013, and the second-youngest player in Blackhawks history (after Eddie Olczyk in 1984) to secure a debut point.

The only place Bedard underachieved was at the faceoff dot, where he went just 2-for-13. That won’t diminish his first experience as an NHL player though, something that, despite months of hype leading up to it, went by too quickly, he noted.

“It’s a moment you think of all your life,” he said. “And now it’s already done. That part is kind of sad.”

Fortunately for Bedard, the memories can last a lifetime.

His pedigree didn’t preclude him from being immersed in all the usual NHL rookie traditions — or guard against an apparently nervous pregame moment. Before the Blackhawks went out for warmups, Bedard was caught looking frantically around for his missing stick — having seemingly forgotten to grab one — before finally locating one on the equipment rack.

Turns out Bedard’s usual superstition had just been interrupted. Normally he would leave a stick along the wall, blade not touching the ground. But he couldn’t find the one he’d prepped, thus the search for another.

Once he went down the tunnel, it was Bedard and fellow freshman Kevin Korchinski alone taking the ice for a minute of solo laps before their teammates joined. Neither player wore a helmet — which are mandatory in warmups for players who entered the league after the 2019-20 season — but Korchinski said it was other Blackhawks who encouraged the decision, insisting “you only get one rookie lap.”

And if anyone could relate to what Bedard was going through Tuesday, it was Korchinski. Bedard might have been hard on himself for not excelling in every aspect of the game on night one, but Korchinski would encourage him to give himself some grace.

“Just like the rest of us, he’s got stuff he’s going to learn from and work on,” Korchinski said. “That’s the scary thing is he’s still learning. He’s only 18. He’s only going to get better.”

Bedard seemingly had the same idea and made the most of his ample ice time throughout the game, both at 5-on-5 and with the man advantage. He was a fixture on the Blackhawks’ first power-play unit and during their initial attempt helped Chicago hold the zone for more than 90 seconds with a pair of nice keep-ins and a whistling one-timer that didn’t make it past Pittsburgh netminder Tristan Jarry.

While Bedard was a clear focal point for the Blackhawks (and, frankly, the Penguins), he wasn’t the only one deserving of attention. Chicago used a collective effort to move past Pittsburgh after falling into a 2-0 hole in the second period off goals from Bryan Rust and Crosby. Bedard was on the ice when Crosby scored, and it might have inspired him to get on the scoresheet as well.

Moments after Crosby’s tally, Bedard, who had been buzzing around the net generating his own chances already, picked up his assist on linemate Ryan Donato‘s score that cut the Pittsburgh lead to 2-1 heading into the third period. Bedard earned his helper, though, with a strong zone entry to set up a prolonged sequence in Pittsburgh’s end that allowed Chicago to wear down the Penguins.

Bedard never has had trouble finding the back of a net before. He collected 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games with the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats last season, an encore to the 100-point campaign he produced the year prior. It might be just a matter of time before he’s collecting NHL tallies. Taking down the Penguins, though, required Chicago’s depth to carry them through.

Once Donato opened the floodgates, Chicago poured it on with a goal from Cole Guttman to tie the game at 2, followed by Jason Dickinson‘s game-winner late in the third period. Nick Foligno added the insurance empty-netter from there. And Petr Mrazek‘s exceptional 38-save showing gave the Blackhawks every chance to rally back.

“It just shows our mindset,” Bedard said of Chicago’s effort. “We’ve seen that a lot throughout camp. Guys want to win so badly.”

And it was the victory Bedard relished most about his debut. The entire game felt like the start of a promising new chapter for Chicago hockey — which, in every respect, it was.

“Coming back like we did, it’s awesome for our group,” Bedard said. “I think you remember [the night] with a little better taste in your mouth when you win.”