Connor Bedard, who has been anointed for years as a generational talent, is making his NHL debut Tuesday night against another generational talent.
Bedard, 18, drafted No. 1 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, will go against Sidney Crosby, 36, the 2005 No. 1 overall pick, and the Pittsburgh Penguins to start his NHL career. Bedard grew up idolizing Crosby.
It’s the middle game of an NHL opening-night tripleheader. The Nashville Predators will visit the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first game and the Vegas Golden Knights will begin defense of their first Stanley Cup championship in the final game of the evening when they take on the Seattle Kraken.
Follow along for all the action from the opening night of the NHL’s 2023-24 season:
How can I watch Connor Bedard’s debut and the other NHL opening night games?
ESPN will show the following tripleheader on Tuesday night (all times p.m. ET):
Nashville Predators at Tampa Bay Lightning, 5:30
Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins, 8
Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights, 10:30
The games will be streamed on ESPN+.
ESPN analyst Barry Melrose diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
NHL analyst Barry Melrose has Parkinson’s disease and will be retiring from ESPN, the network announced Tuesday.
“I’ve had over 50 extraordinary years playing, coaching and analyzing the world’s greatest game, hockey. It’s now time to hang up my skates and focus on my health, my family, including my supportive wife Cindy, and whatever comes next,” Melrose said in a statement.
The 67-year-old Melrose joined the network in 1996 and left for a brief period in June 2008 to accept the Tampa Bay Lightning’s head coaching job. Before joining ESPN, he coached the Los Angeles Kings and led them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final in his first season, losing in five games to the Montreal Canadiens. — Scooby Axson
Will Connor Bedard win rookie of the year?
Our panelists give their favorites for the Calder Trophy and other awards, plus predict how many points Bedard will get. But Bedard has plenty of competition, including Arizona’s Logan Cooley and Columbus’ Adam Fantilli.
How have other recent No. 1 picks fared during their NHL debuts?
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews got off to a great start with four goals in his opening game in 2016 and ended up winning rookie of the year. Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin had two goals in 2005, won the Calder Trophy and is second overall in all-time goals. Crosby had an assist in his 2005 debut, finished the season with 102 points and has won three Stanley Cup titles. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid didn’t get a point until his third game but has gone on to win the Hart Trophy (MVP to his team) three times. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had two assists in his 2013 debut.
How will teams finish during the regular season?
The Penguins (16 seasons) and Predators (eight seasons) are trying to get back to the playoffs after their lengthy postseason streaks came to an end last season. Will they make it? Check out our 2023-24 points projections.
Who won the offseason?
The Penguins were among the busiest teams in the offseason, adding Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and Stanley Cup winner Reilly Smith. New general manager Kyle Dubas also changed up the bottom six forwards, an issue last season. What grade did they get? How about the other 31 teams? Check out our offseason report card.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL live updates: scores, highlights and Connor Bedard’s debut
