Tag: Chicago Blackhawks

Victor Wembanyama told Connor Bedard he was as tall as him at a mind-blowing young age

Victor Wembanyama was unbelievably tall at a very young age.

By now, you know just how tall Victor Wembanyama is as an adult. The San Antonio Spurs’ No. 1 overall pick is listed at 7-foot-4 on the team website, and sometimes it looks like he dwarfs already giant NBA players every time he steps on a court.

But you simply won’t believe how tall he was even as a child.

In a snippet of a conversation with the Chicago Blackhawks’ No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard, he asked Wembanyama to tell him when he was as tall as his currently listed 5-foot-10. After some pondering and math done on the fly, Wembanyama settled on the age of … nine.

NINE.

The average American adult male is 5-foot-9, and Wembanyama was taller than before he was even 10 years old. Just wow.

I can’t even remember when I was last 5-foot-10 and still growing. Meanwhile, Wembanyama added 16 more inches and became an NBA phenom. This is somehow so humbling and mind-blowing at the same time.

Wayne Gretzky praised Connor Bedard’s lacrosse-style goal, and hockey fans loved to see it

“I couldn’t do what he did.”

Connor Bedard is having a standout rookie season for the Chicago Blackhawks, and he’s been scoring some truly jaw-dropping goals while being very casual about how impressive they actually are. It’s amazing.

The star center pulled off another incredible move Saturday in his team’s 7-5 loss to the St. Louis Blues. But forget about the loss because this lacrosse-style goal was mesmerizing and definitely the highlight of the game.

It was such a big deal that even the great Wayne Gretzky was in awe and praised Bedard’s stick skills. Bedard was alone behind Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, picked up the puck with his stick and wrapped around the net and tossed it in.

RELATED: Victor Wembanyama appears twice as tall as Connor Bedard in No. 1 pick jersey swap

Pretty amazing, and Gretzky thought so too, saying: “I couldn’t do what he did tonight.”

Gretzky continued:

“That just wasn’t in my repertoire. I didn’t have the right kind of curve. [Bobby Hull] could do it. I could never do what he did tonight. It was fun to watch. My daughter, Emma, is with me. And she goes, ‘Dad, did you ever do that?’ And I said ‘No, I could never do that.'”

This lacrosse-style goal is also known as a “Michigan goal,” and, according to NBC Sports Chicago, here’s how it originated:

The goal originated with Bill Armstrong, a minor league player for the Albany Devils. Trying it at practice, he wondered if he could use the move in a real game. He did. And he scored four goals with that trick.

Mike Legg, a winger for the Michigan Wolverines, heard about the move and used it himself in a 1996 NCAA Tournament game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. It was named the “Goal of the Year” by Swedish magazine Inside Hockey. The stick Legg used was later donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The goal is referred to by many names. The “Michigan,” the “high wrap,” the “Zorro.”

Hockey fans loved this compliment from The Great One:

Connor Bedard acted like his preposterous goal was an ordinary occurrence for the Blackhawks phenom

Connor Bedard is as cool as a cucumber.

For the most part, Connor Bedard has more than lived up to the hype as one of the best draft prospects in NHL history.

Despite being stuck on an atrocious Chicago Blackhawks team, Bedard still regularly displays the rare skill that sees people draw comparisons to Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, and that made him this summer’s No. 1 overall draft pick. Oh, and he’s averaging nearly a point per game at 18 years old. Ho hum.

During Tuesday night’s matchup with the Edmonton Oilers, Bedard gave us another glimpse of his legitimately generational talent. After catching a stretch pass, Bedard quickly put himself into scoring position and launched one of the filthier shots we’ll see this entire NHL season:

I’m still unsure when he releases the puck from his stick. It’s almost as if it just leaves his general vicinity and hits the back of the net anyway. What a bonkers play all around.

After the game, when asked about the goal, Bedard seemed unmoved. It was almost as if he expected that kind of shot to go in because he understands that’s his job and that he makes these kinds of plays seem routine:

Phew. If Bedard really thinks that was an ordinary shot, I would be extremely terrified if I were the rest of the NHL.

Blackhawks suddenly release Corey Perry from contract: Everything we know so far

Corey Perry is no longer a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. Here’s everything we know about the surprising announcement.

The Chicago Blackhawks have put Corey Perry on waivers with the intent to terminate his contract.

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks made the sudden decision to place Perry on waivers to cut him from his one-year, $4 million contract signed in late June. Perry played just 16 games with the Blackhawks this season, scoring four goals and nine points during that time.

The decision comes days after the 38-year-old forward stepped away from the team for an unknown reason late last week.

There’s still a lot unknown about Perry’s sudden termination from the team, but here’s what we do know so far about this unfolding story in Chicago.

Connor Bedard impressed NHL fans with his beautiful first Blackhawks goal

Two games in, Connor Bedard has already found the net for the Blackhawks.

A night after making his NHL debut, Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard has scored his first goal.

On a beautiful wraparound shot into the goal, Bedard notched his first score at TD Garden against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

It was a nifty little move that just shows how Bedard is already making waves on the ice for the Blackhawks.

It’s only two games and one goal, but Chicago has to like what it’s seeing in the 2023 NHL Draft’s first-overall pick. He already looks like a keeper, and he’s only going to get better every night he takes to the ice.

NHL fans, even those who aren’t Blackhawks fans in the slightest, were happy to see Bedard notch this career milestone.

TD Garden isn’t an easy place to play, either. Good on Bedard for making this second game count like he did in such a difficult arena of competition.

Connor Bedard’s thoughtful, melancholy reaction to his first NHL game isn’t what you’d expect

Welcome to how life works, Connor Bedard.

When all is said and done, it likely won’t be long before Connor Bedard becomes one of the faces of the NHL. The much-hyped No. 1 overall pick is expected to follow in the footsteps of other impeccably talented centers like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. Eventually, he should revitalize his Chicago Blackhawks back to contending prominence.

But on Tuesday, during Bedard’s NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the rookie phenom was purely centered on the emotions of playing his first-ever professional hockey game. Even when the Blackhawks ended up winning 4-2 — led by a sterling individual performance from Bedard — he didn’t seem all that enthused about having the debut behind him and looking forward to what’s next.

At the very least, instead of celebrating, Bedard actually seemed kind of sad that his first game was in the rearview mirror:

Yeah, that is … not the reaction I’d expected from someone many expect to run roughshod on the NHL scene for years. But I do find it relatable. Who among us hasn’t built up an important moment in our lives for a long time only to find that reality doesn’t end up matching the vision in our head? It happens all the time. It’s part of the human experience. Getting too excited in advance or not having enough of our dreams is just a part of life.

I have little doubt Bedard won’t feel similarly once he starts racking up various vital milestones, like his first point and first goal, because they won’t stop coming. And that’s life, too.

A ref welcoming Connor Bedard to the NHL before his first face-off with Sidney Crosby gave fans goosebumps

Now this is how you get your NHL career started.

It really was Connor Bedard Night around the NHL as the Chicago Blackhawks rookie got his first game action at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While Bedard showed some pregame jitters by hilariously forgetting his hockey stick as he left the locker room, his first face-off at the game’s puck drop felt like something out of a movie.

There he was in front of the home crowd, lined up against Penguins legend Sidney Crosby as NHL referee Kelly Sutherland shared a brief-yet-perfect greeting to Bedard as he lined up across from Crosby to start the game.

“Connor. Welcome to the NHL, man,” Sutherland told Bedard in what will be a historic moment for the sport.

Goosebumps!

Like, seriously, that’s just out of this world. It’s the passing of the torch from one NHL generation to the next.

Sutherland nailed the moment as Bedard and Crosby squared off with each other in what will be one of the coolest puck drops we’ll see this season.

If you’re Bedard, how could you forget this moment? It’s the perfect way to kick off your career to the NHL, and fans absolutely loved seeing this unfold.

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Connor Bedard got so nervous before his NHL debut he forgot his hockey stick

Don’t forget your hockey stick, Connor Bedard!

Chicago Blackhawks rookie center Connor Bedard had a big night ahead of him on Tuesday as he made his hotly anticipated NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

However, his understandable nerves got the best of him in the most wholesome way as he forgot his hockey stick as he entered the tunnel with his Chicago teammates.

Bedard quickly backtracked to go get his stick and rejoin his team, but you could tell how surreal the moment surely was for the 2023 NHL Draft’s top pick.

It’s perfectly normal to have some butterflies in your stomach before such a major life moment, and we’re glad that Bedard finally got to hit the ice to get his NHL career going.

Blackhawks fans have to be excited about what Bedard’s potential is, and they’ll plan to see much more of him as his rookie season continues this fall.

Next time, we’re betting Bedard won’t be quite as nervous, and he definitely won’t forget his stick. Until then, this is such a fun memory that he’ll have to commemorate his first night in the NHL.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Notre Dame standout signs with Chicago Blackhawks

A short ride to the pros for him!

A recent Notre Dame standout doesn’t have far to go to now continue his hockey career.  Ryder Rolston, who dressed in 93 games with the Irish from 2020-23 has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks.  The deal is a three-year, entry-level contract that runs through the 2025-26 season ($895,000 salary cap hit). Rolston will report to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League

During his time at Notre Dame, Rolston totaled 53 points (18 goals, 35 assists).  He scored a career high 10 goals and 17 assists (27 points) in 2021-22.  He’s the son of former Stanley Cup Champion, Brian Rolston.

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United Center lands new drink sponsor for Bulls, Blackhawks games

The United Center, Chicago Bulls, and Chicago Blackhawks are changing soft drink sponsors, with PepsiCo becoming the new face.

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The Chicago Bulls have had a solid offseason, and it’s brought a few changes to the roster. Obviously, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White remained in place, signing extensions with the team, but the Bulls brought in two new faces in free agency: Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig.

But Chicago’s changes haven’t been all on the court. The United Center underwent one major change. As announced on its Twitter account, United Center, the home for Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks games, is switching drink sponsors. PepsiCo is the new sponsor.

PepsiCo will now be the soft drink provider of the United Center, the Bulls, and the Blackhawks, as the drink company and the three entities announced a multi-year partnership.

“Together with the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks, the United Center is committed to elevating the fan experience by partnering with brands who lead with innovation and offer best-in-class products,” said Joe Myhra, the senior vice president of the United Center, in a press release. “We are thrilled to collaborate with PepsiCo in the coming years as we work to create iconic experiences for fans at the arena in addition to expanding our collective impact in our surrounding community.”

The change means Coca-Cola and its brand family, including Fanta, Minute Maid and Dasani, will be replaced by PepsiCo branded products: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Starry and Aquafina.

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