Bedard Drafted First Overall By Blackhawks
Nashville, TN – The worst kept secret in hockey came to an end on Wednesday, as the Chicago Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard with the first overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Bedard becomes the third ever Regina Pats player to be selected first overall and the first since 1980, joining Greg Joly and Doug Wickenheiser. Joly was drafted with the first pick of the 1974 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals while Wickenheiser was picked first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1980.
Bedard is also the fourth ever Regina Pats player to be drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, joining Jeff Shantz (1992), Kyle Calder (1997) and Scott Balan (2000).
The North Vancouver B.C., product is the first Western Hockey League player to be drafted first overall since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers with the first pick of the 2011 NHL Draft. Before him, it was Chris Phillips taken first overall in 1996 by the Ottawa Senators.
The 17-year-old right-shot forward gathered 143 points (71G-72A) across 57 games in 2022-23 with the Pats. He led the entire Canadian Hockey League in goals, points, shots on goal (360), points per-game (2.51), goals per-game (1.24), while finishing tied for second in game-winning-goals (11), as well as tied for fifth in assists (72).
The 5-foot-10, 185 lb. centre produced the longest point-streak in the CHL in 2022-23, going 35 straight contests with at least a point, surpassing his previous high of 21 set last season. During the 35-game streak he scored 44 goals and 46 assists for 90 points.
On June 3, 2023, Bedard took home the CHL’s Top Prospect Award presented by Kubota Canada, Top Scorer Award, and David Branch Player of the Year Award presented by Kia Canada — marking the first time in CHL history that a skater has won all three of these awards in the same season since the introduction of the CHL’s Top Scorer award in 1994.
He also became the first Regina Pats player to win the CHL Player of the Year Award since Jordan Eberle (2009-10), while just the fourth Pats player to win this award, joining Doug Wickenheiser (1979-80), Ed Staniowski (1974-75) and Eberle. He also became the first Pats player to win the CHL Top Scorer Award since Sam Steel (2016-17) as well as the first Pats player all-time to earn the CHL Top Draft Prospect.
With the anticipation of Bedard making the Blackhawks roster next season, he finishes his WHL career with 134 goals, 137 assists and 271 points over 134 games across three seasons with the club. The first player to be granted exceptional status into the WHL ranks T-18th in team history in goals, 23rd in points and T-36th in assists.
