Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, played in his first NHL practice game on Thursday at the United Center and did a great job.
Bedard had nine shots, five of which were on goal. He also won 10 of 16 faceoffs and played 21:42 of ice time, more than any other forward on the team.
The boy said, “It was good and fun to be out there.” “It was really cool to go out on the ice for the first time, with the national anthem and everything.”
Oh, I forgot to say that Bedard had two main helpers. He set up Andreas Athanasiou for the game-winning goal in overtime, which gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Bedard wasn’t completely happy with his showing, though.
Bedard said, “I think I can be a lot better.” “I didn’t think I played very well.” Obviously, it’s great to get the win before the season starts. Winning is the best thing ever. It’s good that I felt good in the process. I felt pretty good when I was in the D-zone. I believe I can do much better.
It’s crazy that he can. He will, too.
One thing that Bedard does well is his B game. This is what makes him a great NHL player for the Blackhawks.
“I thought he was good,” said Luke Richardson, head coach of the Blackhawks. “He seemed to really want to score. I think he dove in and doubled up a few times in the third period and even in overtime when we got away with a two-on-one. But he’s great at reading plays. He made a crazy pass that led to the winning goal. We saw a lot of that.
“He’s just used to playing with the puck, like skating in traffic. He won’t have any trouble playing with bigger and stronger guys in this league.” The way he finds what he needs to do at the right time is something that makes him unique.