Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard wins 2024 Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
LAS VEGAS — Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard has been named the winner of the 2023-24 Calder Trophy, which is annually awarded to the NHL’s most outstanding rookie. The news was announced at the NHL Awards in Vegas on Thursday.
Bedard is the 10th player in Blackhawks history to take home the Calder Trophy, joining Ed Belfour, Cully Dahlstrom, Tony Esposito, Bill Hay, Patrick Kane, Mike Karakas, Steve Larmer, Ed Litzenberger and Artemi Panarin.
Bedard, who was selected by Chicago with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was the most-hyped draft prospect since Connor McDavid in 2015. And he not only lived up to expectations in Year 1 but he exceeded them.
Bedard, 18, led all rookies in goals (22), assists (39) and points (61) despite missing 14 games with a fractured jaw. And he did so as the 14th-youngest player in NHL history.
“It was incredible,” Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said of Bedard’s rookie season. “The weight that was put on his shoulders, given his profile walking into the league, it’s really difficult to handle. I don’t think anyone can adequately quantify the degree of difficulty of what he had to deal with off the ice, to then go and perform on the ice. We work with him to make it as seamless as possible. And, for the most part, I think we accomplished that.
“But having said that, he’s an 18-year-old player that had to go through more media attention than any player in recent memory, and probably more than any player entering the league ever, just given the social media age and the age that we’re in right now. And so I thought it was extremely impressive.”
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber came in second place, and New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes finished in third, respectively.
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