Chicago Blackhawks No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard made his NHL preseason debut on Thursday at the United Center, and he didn't disappoint.
Bedard recorded nine shot attempts, five shots on goal, won 10 of 16 faceoffs, and logged 21:42 of ice time, which led all team forwards.
"It was good, it was a lot of fun to get out there," Bedard said. "Really cool moment going on the ice for the first time, obviously the anthem and everything."
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Oh, I forgot to mention Bedard tallied two primary assists, including on the overtime winner to set up Andreas Athanasiou, leading the Blackhawks to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. And yet Bedard wasn't completely satisfied with his performance.
"I think I can be a lot better," Bedard said. "I didn't think I personally played great. It's really good to get the win – obviously preseason. Nothing's better than winning. I felt good in the systems, which is a good thing. In the D-zone, I felt pretty comfortable. But I think I can do a lot better."
The crazy thing is, he can. And he will.
Chicago Blackhawks
But Bedard's B game is still very, very good, and it's why he's going to be an elite NHL player for the Blackhawks.
"I thought he was good," Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. "I think he really wanted to score. There were a couple of times where I think he maybe dove in, maybe doubled up a few times in the third period and even in overtime once we got away with a two-on-one there. But he reads plays very well. He made an unbelievable pass on the winning goal. And we saw a lot of that.
"He just feels comfortable with that puck, like skating in traffic he's gonna have no trouble playing with bigger guys in this league and stronger guys. He's got that special quality that he seems to find what he needs to do at the right time."