On Tuesday night, one of the most anticipated first overall picks in NHL history will make his debut for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Vancouver native Connor Bedard attracted the interest of the sports world as early as 13 years old, when The Hockey News dubbed him “the future of hockey.” Over the next five years, he continued to live up to the hype.
During the 2021-22 season, he became the youngest player to score 50 or more goals in Canada’s Western Hockey League (WHL), one of the three best major junior-level hockey leagues in the country. Bedard’s presence alone was enough to draw tens of thousands to WHL games earlier this year, even when his team were the visitors.
His talent on the ice was enough to lead many to drive comparisons to other generational talents such as the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and the Oilers’ Connor McDavid. By summer 2022, Bedard was the clear choice to be the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. All that was left to decide was his destination.
The Chicago Blackhawks finished in a tie for second-fewest points in the 2022-23 NHL season and eventually won the first overall pick in the draft lottery. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks sold $2.5 million in season ticket packages within 90 minutes of the lottery outcome’s announcement, no doubt thanks to the presumptive Bedard selection.
On Tuesday night, the long-awaited NHL debut of one of hockey’s most exciting prospects ends as Chicago take on the Penguins in Pittsburgh.
NHL record projections: Predicting where all 32 NHL teams will finish in the standings
A recent history of other generational NHL prospects
As Bedard prepares to make his debut as one of the most anticipated prospects in his generation, here’s how some other highly anticipated, young hockey players began their NHL careers, in terms of games before their first goal.
Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals, 2005 debut
The Washington Capitals drafted Ovechkin with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, but he didn’t play in the NHL till 2005 thanks to the 2004-05 lockout. When he did make his debut at 20 years old, it only took the Russian one game to score his first two career goals.
Sidney Crosby, Penguins, 2005 debut
Crosby was the first overall pick one year after Ovechkin, though he made his NHL debut for the Penguins on the same day as Ovechkin did with the Caps. The Nova Scotia native was 18 years old when he made his first start for Pittsburgh. Though he tallied his first NHL point in his first career game with an assist on the team’s first goal of the season, Crosby didn’t score his own first goal until the third game of the season.
Connor McDavid, Oilers, 2015 debut
Skipping ahead 10 years, McDavid was perhaps the player with the most surrounding hype entering the NHL Draft since Crosby back in 2005. The Canadian made his debut at 18 years old. Like Crosby, McDavid didn’t score his first goal until his third career game, however he had two shots on goal in his debut against the St. Louis Blues that were saved.
How to watch NHL season openers: Times, TV, streaming, matchups as Connor Bedard makes debut
How to watch Connor Bedard’s Blackhawks debut: TV channel, streaming
Game start: 8 p.m. ET
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Cable TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app, ESPN+
Stanley Cup winners: Vegas Golden Knights receive championship rings, which have a surprise inside
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Connor Bedard’s NHL debut: comparing him to Ovechkin, Crosby, McDavid
