Tag: Connor Bedard

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:

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

Taking 1-on-1 to a whole new level

Connor Bedard and Victor Wembanyama don’t have too much in common.

One grew up in France, the other in British Columbia. One learned how to skate. The other learned how to put defenders on skates. One can dunk. One (most likely) cannot.

Yet both developed into can’t-miss phenoms at their respective sports leading to transformative drafts for the teams lucky enough (read: tanked correctly) to select them.

Bedard went No. 1 overall to the Chicago Blackhawks last summer while Wembanyama went No. 1 overall to the San Antonio Spurs.

So with the rising NBA star in Chicago to take on the Bulls this week, it was only right that the two top selections finally had a chance to size each other up and swap jerseys.

Look, we know we keep saying this, but it is never not shocking to see how tall Wemby is. Bedard is listed at 5-foot-10. It’s not like he’s a particularly small human or anything and Wembanyama looks twice his size.

They could’ve at least let Bedard wear his skates in one of the photos.

Regardless, hockey and basketball fans loved the crossover event.

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.

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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Connor Bedard Chicago Blackhawks jersey, 2023 NHL Draft No. 1 pick gear

How to get yourself a new Connor Bedard #Blackhawks jersey:

The Chicago Blackhawks won the Connor Bedard sweepstakes following the NHL draft lottery… and now it’s official.

With the top selection at the 2023 NHL draft, Chicago picked the 17-year-old phenom. The Blackhawks could be landing their next generational star.

All of Chicago is eager to meet the player who will lead the city into a new era of Blackhawks hockey. There’s only one real way for Chicago fans to express that type of excitement.

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Gear up and celebrate the start of Bedard’s hopeful journey from NHL rookie to Stanley Cup champion  by grabbing some of his new Blackhawks gear including jerseys, t-shirts and more.

Who is Connor Bedard, the prospective No. 1 pick at the 2023 NHL Draft?

Connor Bedard is a name hockey fans will be hearing about for years to come.

The 2023 NHL Draft may be hockey fans’ most anticipated event of the summer thanks to a 17-year-old named Connor Bedard.

Yes, really. Even the exciting Stanley Cup Final we all just witnessed may pale in comparison to the upcoming NHL Draft on Wednesday, where one team’s fortunes will change quite significantly with the acquisition of Bedard. The Chicago Blackhawks currently hold the No. 1 overall pick and will almost certainly select Bedard in the top spot.

Hockey fans are going to hear a lot about Bedard in the weeks and months to come. So, to get you ready for the upcoming draft, let’s dive into who Bedard is and what makes him so special as a hockey player.