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As expected, No. 98 has been taken No. 1.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard — who wore No. 98 with the Regina Pats — with the first pick overall in Wednesday’s NHL draft.
He’s the first Pats player to go first overall in the NHL draft since Doug Wickenheiser was the top pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 1980.
Bedard’s also the first WHL player to be taken with the first pick since the Edmonton Oilers selected then-Red Deer Rebels star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at No. 1 in 2011.
CONNOR BEDARD, WELCOME TO CHICAGO pic.twitter.com/z4scGfUZ4I
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 28, 2023
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be here with my family and friends and get to hear my name be called and experience that, especially with such a storied organization,” Bedard told reporters in Nashville after he was drafted.
“Everything I’ve heard about the city and the people there is nothing but positive, so I can’t wait for that. I’m very thankful that the staff — Kyle (Davidson, Chicago’s general manager) and Luke (Richardson, the Blackhawks’ head coach) and everyone – put their faith in me with that pick.”
Bedard was the presumptive top pick in the draft all season, and not surprisingly was the top-ranked North American skater in the final pre-draft rankings.
The product of North Vancouver, B.C., was the first player ever granted exceptional player status in the WHL, allowing him to play fulltime in the league as a 15-year-old.
He lived up to the hype in his three junior seasons.
In 134 career regular-season games with the Pats, Bedard scored 134 goals and added 137 assists. During the 2022-23 season, he led the WHL with 71 goals and 143 points in just 57 games, and then added 10 goals and 10 assists in seven playoff games.
Bedard subsequently was named the WHL’s most outstanding player and the Canadian Hockey League’s player of the year.
He also was named the MVP of the 2023 world junior hockey championship after scoring nine goals and assisting on 14 others to help Canada win gold. In his second appearance in the event, he set numerous Canadian single-tournament and career scoring records.
He took time after the draft to reflect on his time in Regina.
“(I) got drafted as a 14-year-old and, (as a) young kid, didn’t know what to expect,” Bedard said. “But that city, they take you in as one of their own. (There are) some of the kindest people I’ve ever met there, (including) the staff and teammates.
“The friendships I’ve built over there have been unbelievable and I’m so thankful for the past three years to play in Regina.”
Chicago is in the midst of a significant rebuild, having moved on from established stars like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks missed the playoffs in the 2022-23 season, posting a record of 26-49-7 and scoring an NHL-low 204 goals in 82 regular-season games.
In fact, Chicago has missed the playoffs in five of the past six NHL seasons.
Within minutes of selecting Bedard, the Blackhawks were inviting their followers on social media to purchase his jersey.
The moment you've been waiting for.
GET YOUR CONNOR BEDARD JERSEY NOW pic.twitter.com/BzONIljVLg
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 28, 2023
Bedard is the second No. 1 pick to join the Blackhawks this week. On Monday, they made a trade with the Boston Bruins for Taylor Hall, whom the Oilers took first overall in 2010.
Brayden Yager of the Moose Jaw Warriors was the second Saskatchewan-based WHLer to go in the first round. The Saskatoon product was selected 14th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Saskatoon Blades defenceman Tanner Molendyk also was a first-rounder, going 24th overall to the Nashville Predators.