John Malone
Jun 29, 2023 - 03:05

2023 NHL Entry Draft: First Overall Pick Goes to Connor Bedard

Connor Bedard selected first overall in 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

Connor Bedard, a talented young hockey player from North Vancouver, British Columbia, has been chosen as the first overall pick in the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. This decision comes as no surprise, as Bedard has been a standout player for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League over the past two seasons.

In the 2021-22 season, Bedard recorded an impressive 51 goals and 49 assists, totaling 100 points in 62 games. He followed up this remarkable performance with an even more outstanding season in 2022-23, scoring 71 goals and providing 72 assists for a remarkable 143 points in just 57 games. Many argue that Bedard may be the most promising prospect from the Western Hockey League to ever be drafted into the NHL. However, despite his individual success, Bedard was unable to lead the Pats to a Memorial Cup victory.

Bedard recently made history at the 2023 Canadian Hockey League Awards, becoming the first player ever to win the CHL Top Prospect Award, the Top Scorer Award, and the David Branch Player of the Year Award all in the same season. This achievement further solidifies his status as a rising star in the hockey world.

Furthermore, Bedard has proven himself on the international stage, winning gold medals for Canada in the last two World Junior Hockey Championships. The 2022 tournament took place in a sparsely populated Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, while the 2023 championship was held in the lively Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the 2022 World Juniors, Bedard contributed four goals and four assists, totaling eight points in seven games. However, he truly shone in the 2023 World Juniors, recording an astounding nine goals and 14 assists for an impressive 23 points in seven games. Bedard not only led the 2003 World Juniors in scoring but also emerged as the tournament's top scorer.

Bedard's selection as the first overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks makes him the second player in the team's history to hold this distinction. The first was Patrick Kane, who was drafted as the first overall pick in 2007 and has since become a prominent figure in the sport.

With Bedard's arrival in Chicago, there is now speculation that he may have the opportunity to play alongside Taylor Hall. Hall was recently acquired by the Blackhawks in a high-profile trade with the Boston Bruins. Interestingly, Hall was also a first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, selected by the Edmonton Oilers.