(670 The Score) The Blackhawks began a new era Wednesday evening by selecting generational prospect Connor Bedard at No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft, and there’s no denying what his arrival could mean for the franchise.
“We’ve all seen the highlights of Bedard, whether it was in the WHL or whether it was at the World Juniors,” Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago said Thursday morning on the Mully & Haugh Show. “He’s a special, special kid on the ice, but then it’s very rare where you can find a player that talented – a generational product on the ice – (combined) with how mature he is off of it. We talk about how he’s going to be the perfect player for the Blackhawks to build around on the ice. He’s going to be just as valuable of a leader and a captain type player down the road off of it. It’s a rare combination, but he absolutely carries both of those qualities.”
Bedard, who will turn 18 on July 17, is considered by most to be the best prospect to enter the NHL since Connor McDavid went No. 1 overall to the Oilers in 2015. A native of Vancouver, Bedard posted eye-popping numbers for the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League, scoring 134 goals to go along with 137 assists in 134 games across three seasons. He won the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the league’s top player in 2023, when he had 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 games. A North Vancouver native, Bedard also posted nine goals and 14 assists over seven games with Canada in the World Junior Hockey Championship earlier this year en route to being named the tournament MVP.
Listen to Roumeliotis’ full interview in the audio player above.
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