He won’t get a chance to be a teammate of either player, but you can bet that Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard knows plenty about Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews’ time in the Windy City.
Bedard, who joined Kane as one of only two players taken No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft by the Blackhawks, said that he followed the legendary winger’s career closely while he was growing up.
“I followed them super closely. How couldn’t you with all their success, and the Stanley Cups they won,” he told media on Wednesday night.
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The statistics speak for themselves. Kane and Toews won three Stanley Cups in six seasons with the Blackhawks. Kane earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2013, while Toews earned the prize in 2010.
Kane also won the Art Ross as the league’s top scorer in 2016, as well as the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
Both players were also named to the NHL’s 100th Anniversary Team in 2017.
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Bedard followed all of that, and says that their deep playoff runs are seared into his memory.
“I remember watching them all the time a lot, and (their) deep playoff runs,” he said.
He also hopes that he can generate the same enthusiasm from the crowds at the United Center when he arrives in Chicago.
“The impact they had on the city and the reaction they got from fans was incredible,” he said. “Hopefully I can see that at the United Center.”