When Jackie Redmond asked Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard if he could pick one other NHL player to skate with on a line, he went with New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal.
When Jackie Redmond asked Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard if he could pick one other NHL player to skate with on a line, he went with New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal:
Although many people may have been shocked by this answer, it was the only true answer for those who knew about the two’s history.
Despite an eight-year age gap, Bedard being 19 and Barzal being 27, the two have become tremendous friends over the last few years. Both hail from Vancouver and have been skating with each other each summer for over seven years.
Eight months before the Blackhawks drafted Bedard first overall at the 2023 NHL Draft, Barzal spoke to us about his relationship with the player torching up the OHL with the Regina Pats.
He shared the story of how the two met.
“It’s actually funny. He couldn’t have been older than 12,” Barzal said. “He had a cage on and skates that were a little too big. He was out there skating with us. I was like 20, maybe, or I don’t know how old, but he was out there with the NHL guys, and it was funny.
"We were like, ‘Who’s this kid?’ Then, two years later, he’s shooting harder than all of us. He’s dangling NHL defensemen. He’s an incredible talent.”
Outside of the clear on-ice talent, Bedard has a funny side, even if he has been ultra serious with the cameras on.
“He’s such a great kid. He always makes me laugh,” Barzal said. “I text him and stuff after big games just to see how he’s doing, and I love being on the ice with him in the summer.”
Flash forward a few years, and the two are both thriving in the NHL.
At the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, Bedard's firs, Barzal chose the youngster to be his passer for the one-time challenge:
Because of Bedard’s jaw injury last season, he missed the first meeting between the Blackhawks and Islanders when Barzal and the team were in Chicago early in the season.
But on Apr. 2, Bedard made his debut against Barzal and the Islanders at UBS Arena:
The Islanders beat the Blackhawks 2-1, with Bedard recording a primary assist in the game.
Bedard and the Blackhawks will be at UBS Arena on Dec. 12 before Barzal and the Islanders head to the Windy City just three days later.