Connor Bedard’s debut delivers record TV ratings for ESPN originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
It’s official. The eyes of the world are on Connor Bedard.
Tuesday’s season-opener between the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins drew a record-breaking 1.43 million viewers on ESPN, making it the most-watched regular season NHL game in ESPN history, excluding the annual Winter Classic games.
#Blackhawks-Penguins on Opening Night averaged 1.43 million viewers, which is ESPN’s most-viewed NHL regular-season game on record. pic.twitter.com/VIv9xJVeaG
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 11, 2023
By comparison, Thursday’s game between the Tampa Bay Lighting and Nashville Predators drew 598,000 total viewers, while 691,000 viewers tuned in to watch the Vegas Knights raise the Stanley Cup banner in their season-opener against the Seattle Kraken.
Bedard notched his first career point in his first official game, helping the Blackhawks to a 4-2 win on the road. One night later, Bedard sealed his first career goal, becoming the third-youngest player in franchise history to score a goal.
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