Future-oriented talent Connor Bedard, who is 18 years old and a must-see NHL star, has been rushing off to hockey camps like a much younger child anxious about making his bantam squad.
Bedard recently participated in the BioSteel NHL Camp in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he skated among recognized top-tier NHL players like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. The NHLPA/Upper Deck Rookie Showcase will begin on Tuesday, September 5, at the Washington Capitals training facility in Arlington, Virginia, and will feature the NHL’s top draft choice in 2023.
Bedard is also anticipated to participate in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase, a competition that begins on September 13 at a rink near the Twin Cities and features young players from the Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Minnesota Wild.
Kevin Korchinski, the top defensive prospect for the Blackhawks and either the No. 2 or No. 3 overall prospect in the organization will attend the NHLPA/Upper Deck camp alongside Bedard at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex outside of Washington. Following a successful junior year with the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds and, like Bedard, gold-medal-winning Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, Korchinski, Chicago’s seventh overall first-round draft pick in 2022, is in great shape.
The lanky Korchinski has agreed to a three-year entry-level deal with the Blackhawks. Korchinski must choose between playing with Chicago next season or going back to Seattle because he is only 19 years old. 19-year-olds are not permitted to play with professional minor league clubs per an agreement with the Canadian Hockey League that was made to stop the poaching of young talent.
As a result, Korchinski won’t be able to play for the AHL Rockford IceHogs in 2023–24. If the 6-foot-2 product of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has a great training camp with the Blackhawks, it’s feasible that he and Bedard may start the season with Chicago when the team hosts Pittsburgh on Oct. 10.
The other No. 2/No. 3 prospect for the Blackhawks, Lukas Reichel, took part in the 2022 NHLPA/UpperDeck Rookie Showcase. The 2023 camp will have 35 prospects from 21 NHL teams. Other top 2023 draft picks like Leo Carlsson (Anaheim, No. 2) and Adam Fantilli (Columbus, No. 3) are among them.
Speaking of high standards, the MedStar Capitals Iceplex is located on the eighth story of a structure, atop a parking garage. It makes the claim to be the United States’ highest ice rink above street level.