The NHL's top draft pick and next generational talent skated at the Chicago Blackhawks rookie camp on Thursday. He'll playin at least one game this weekend in Minnesota at Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase.
Connor Bedard says he just wants to play in a hockey game. Any hockey game.
Bedard joined the Blackhawks for rookie camp practice on Thursday.The NHL's top draft pick of 2023 will do that for the first time in a Chicago Blackhawks uniform this weekend at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in St. Paul, Minnesota.
"I'm a rookie, like any other guy here," Bedard said Thursday after skating at the Blackhawks training facility on Chicago's West Side. "So, yeah, I want to play a game so bad. It's been so long, so I'm really excited for that."
It's still not known if Bedard will play in one or both of the Blackhawks contests at TRIA Rink against the St. Louis Blues youngsters on Saturday and the Minnesota Wild's kids on Sunday.
Rockford coach Anders Sorensen still wasn't sure if Bedard will play in one or two games in St.Paul, Minnesota this weekend."We'll see," said Anders Sorensen, coach of the Blackhawks Rockford IceHogs AHL affiliate, who's in charge of Chicago's 23 youngsters rostered for the event.
But Bedard is raring to go, after returning from spin on the NHL's media tour with stars including Penguins center Sidney Crosby, a player he's admired and been compared to. Bedard figures to be in Chicago's lineup against Crosby when the Blackhawks open their season at Pittsburgh on Oct. 10.
"Of course it's been a lot of photos and interviews and everything, which is great," Bedard said. "But you want to play hockey, so it's good to kind of get back here and get everything started and just focus on that. I just want to be here and play hockey."
Bedard is happy to be getting back into a hockey routine.Bedard is looking forward to establishing a routine in Chicago after "being pulled in a bunch of directions." Part of that process is just playing the game."
And the 18-year-old forward is hardly too tired after a busy summer, highlighted by being taken first overall at the NHL Draft in Nashville on June 28. Bedard never gave thought to taking the weekend off, skipping the the Kurvers Showcase and heading straight into the Blackhawks full training camp that opens next week.
"I think that's (the showcase) what'll get me ready, to be honest with you," said Bedard, who also skated at BioSteel and NHLPA/Upper Deck camps over the past 10 days. "I haven't played in a game in a long time, and that's what I want to do."
It all makes sense to the Blackhawks coaching staff.
"It's a great way to get going and get started for camp for him," Sorensen said. "He's 18 years old. He wants to come in and make an impression on everybody in the whole world. He wants to play, so let's go."
Sorensen wouldn't confirm which rookie wingers Bedard might center this weekend. On Thursday, Bedard practiced with Colton Dach and Nick Lardis.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Dach helped Seattle of the WHL reach the Memorial Cup Tournament last season after a shoulder injury sidelined him from Canada's gold medal team in the 2023 World Junior Championships. Chicago selected 20-year-old, Kirby Dach's younger brother, in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2021 draft.
The Blackhawks drafted the 5-foot-11, 168-pound Lardis in the third round, (67th overall) last June. The 18-year-old winger came on strong with Hamilton of the OHL following a trade from Peterborough.
"We'll see how (practice) goes tomorrow," Sorensen said. "Lardis is quick. He's light on his feet, thinks the game well.
"Colton is a big body who creates some room. I thought they looked good today, but I'll talk to the guys up top and see what they think."
That's up top, literally and figuratively. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson and front office personnel watched practice from the team's private balcony at the Fifth Third Arena.