SAN JOSE – Chicago Blackhawks wunderkind Connor Bedard has some sound advice for Macklin Celebrini — the former Jr. Sharks star – particularly as it relates to dealing with expectations as a first-overall draft pick.
“Don’t listen to you guys,” Bedard told the media with a smile Saturday morning at SAP Center.
Bedard and the Blackhawks will play the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center in a game between the NHL’s bottom two teams. A Sharks loss in regulation time would put them six points back of the Blackhawks with 12 games left to play — and in the driver’s seat, so to speak, to finish with the league’s worst overall record.
That would give the Sharks (16-46-7) a 25.5 percent chance of winning the NHL Draft Lottery and selecting Celebrini, widely believed to be the best player available this year, like Bedard was last year.
“Just play the game, have fun. That’s kind of the main thing,” Bedard said when asked his advice to Celebrini. “There’s so much that goes on outside that’s great, but honestly, some of it isn’t that much fun.
“When you actually get on the ice and you’re just doing what you love, that’s the best part of your day. That’s kind of its kind of how I approached it.”
Bedard, still just 18, dealt with an incredible, almost ridiculous amount of hype in his draft year when he had 143 points in 57 games with the Regina Pats.
Labeled a generational talent, Bedard helped fill large arenas across the Western Hockey League as a visiting player. He was celebrated from coast to coast for helping Canada win two straight gold medals at the World Junior Championships.
After they won the 2023 draft lottery, the Blackhawks sold $5.2 million worth of new tickets, including 1,200 new full-season plans, in just 12 hours. Thousands of fans showed up for the team’s official draft party in Chicago last June, and Bedard’s No. 98 jersey was in high demand.
So far this season, Bedard, has lived up to expectations. Going into Saturday, Bedard had 54 points in 56 games, including 15 assists in 21 points in 17 games since he returned from a broken jaw in mid-February. Saturday marked his first NHL game in San Jose, as the Blackhawks (19-46-5) looked to close their California swing on a high note after losses in Los Angeles and Anaheim earlier this week.
“It’s a lot of fun, just always playing,” Bedard said of the busy NHL schedule. “Frustrated with the amount of losing but I’m just always trying to improve and chasing that every day is a lot of fun.”
Celebrini will not enter the NHL with that same kind of hype, but he’ll be a centerpiece for any team he plays for next season.
Still just 17, Celebrini was one of the NCAA’s leading scorers as he came into Saturday with 30 goals and 58 points in 34 games this season for Boston University. He and the Terriers played Boston College and Sharks prospect Will Smith in the Hockey East tournament championship on Saturday evening.
Both Bedard and Celebrini have roots in the Vancouver area. Bedard remembers playing with Celebrini roughly a decade ago and watched him pretty closely at the 2024 world juniors in Sweden.
“He’s a special player and what he’s doing this year is remarkable. I don’t know if it’s ever been done at his age,” Bedard said. “Going (into the NCAA) as an underage and probably being one of the Hobey (Baker Award) finalists, I’m not too sure.
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“It’s been exciting to watch a guy like that and the NHL is probably pretty excited about him coming in.”
Bedard wouldn’t say whether he would like to be teammates with Celebrini next season. But even if the Blackhawks finish with the second-worst record in the NHL this season, they’ll still have a 13.5 percent chance of winning the lottery for a second straight year.
It’s a tantalizing thought for any Blackhawks fan. Not so much in San Jose, though.
“We’re all focused on today,” Bedard said. “Not thinking about that too much right now.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com