McGuire was assistant coach under Mike Keenan with Blackhawks and Flyers.
Connor Bedard figures to be taken by the Blackhawks as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday in Nashville.
On Monday, hockey's "next generational talent" received an NHL honor with a Chicago tie. The E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence is presented annually by the league to a draft prospect who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism.
E.J. McGuireBedard tore up major junior hockey last winter with a Canadian Hockey League-leading 71 goals and 143 points with the Regina Pats. The center became the first player in CHL history to sweep the Player of the Year, Top Prospect and Top Scorer awards in a single season. He also set single-tournament Team Canada records in assists (14) and points (23) at the 2023 World Junior Championship en route to being named tournament MVP and winning a gold medal.
McGuire, a Buffalo native, was one part of a first wave of university-trained coaches to make an impact in the NHL. He was a player, then a head coach at the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport and went on to earn a doctorate at the University of Waterloo (Ontario)
McGuire worked under Keenan for four seasons with the Flyers, then three with Chicago. The innovative, thoughtful and mostly calm McGuire provided something of a counterbalance to Keenan's live-fast/die-hard style.
McGuire joined the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau in 2002 and assumed day-to-day responsibility for the department in 2005. He led a team of eight full-time and 15 part-time scouts throughout North America.
McGuire was responsible for several advancements in scouting during his nine years at the NHL, including the development of a new scouting technology system that brought the “art” of scouting to a whole new level. He was instrumental in raising both the effectiveness and profile of the league's annual scouting combine.
McGuire lost a battle with cancer in April 2011 at age 58. He truly was one of hockey's "good and decent" and very smart guys.
Will Bedard pull one of these on in Nashville. If he does, the crowd at the Salt Shed will go bonkers.REMINDER: We'll be at the Salt Shed entertainment venue in Chicago on Wednesday, June 28 for what's expected to be a big draft watch party. Based on Twitter comments, some fans are still nervous that Bedard will "pull a Lindros" and not want to sign with the Blackhawks even though he's said it would be an honor to be drafted by Chicago.
As Bedard walks to the podium in Nashville, the Salt Shed may be quiet for a few seconds... as fans wait for him to pull on a Hawks jersey.
As Joel Quenneville would say, "We'll see..."