Connor Bedard has wasted no time making his mark on the NHL.
The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NHL draft, hailed by many as the best prospect the league has seen since Connor McDavid entered the show eight years ago, got his first career goal Wednesday night in a pretty sequence in the first period of the Chicago Blackhawks’ game against the Boston Bruins.
Bedard helped start the play just inside the blue line, dropping a pass to Ryan Donato, who returned the puck to Bedard. The 18-year-old put the puck on net, and the rebound off reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark kicked around until the puck found its way back to Bedard. He calmly tucked it into the net on his forehand on the wraparound and celebrated with a pump of his fists.
“I remember, like, being behind the net and kind of seeing it and I was just like, ‘Don’t screw this up,’” Bedard said after the game. “And then once it went in, just a lot of joy, for sure.”
Bedard has two points in as many games, after picking up an assist in his NHL debut on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blackhawks rallied to win that game 4-2. Bedard’s goal Wednesday night gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead in Boston, but the Bruins rallied for a 3-1 victory.
Despite the loss, Bedard said getting his first goal is “a big relief.”
“You want to get one really bad, quick, and kind of get that out of the way. But it was (a) really cool moment and cool building to do it in,” he said.
Contributing: Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard scores first goal of NHL career
