"I'll go Gretzky": When Connor Bedard named his 'Ultimate' NHL lineup

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Dec 13, 2024 17:18 GMT

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Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, shared his dream lineup last offseason. In a video for Front Office Sports, released on June 29, Bedard named five hockey legends who inspired him.

For forwards, Bedard chose Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby. On defense, he picked Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidstrom. As his goaltender, Bedard selected Patrick Roy. He described his choices as just some names that come to mind and said there are many great players to choose from.

"Ultimate lineup, I'll go Gretzky, David, Crosby, pretty basic defense I'll go Lidstrom and Orr and then a goalie, I'll go, I'll go Patrick Roy." Bedard said in the video. "Just some names that come to mind. You could you probably pick a lot of guys that play, but those are kind of the first guys to come to mind."

The video was part of Athlete Archives, a series that highlights athletes' inspirations and milestones. Bedard, who grew up collecting hockey cards, now has cards of his own as he continues building his career.

At 19 years old, Bedard has shown promise in the 2024-25 NHL season. In 29 games, he has six goals and 18 assists, totaling 24 points. Despite playing for a rebuilding team, Bedard has stood out on the power play, recording 11 points in such situations. However, his -10 plus/minus reflects the team’s defensive struggles.

Bedard’s growth remains a bright spot in Chicago’s tough season. The Blackhawks are 9-18-2 on the year.

Bedard scores early but Blackhawks lose 5-4

The Blackhawks lost 5-4 to the New York Islanders Thursday after a late rally. Bedard scored the first goal on a power play, giving Chicago a 1-0 lead. The Islanders responded with five straight goals. Dennis Cholowski tied it at 1-1. Simon Holmstrom put the Islanders ahead 2-1. Noah Dobson extended the lead to 3-1, and Bo Horvat made it 4-1. Maxim Tsyplakov pushed the lead to 5-1.

The Blackhawks fought back in the third period. TJ Brodie made it 5-2, and Tyler Bertuzzi scored two goals to bring the score to 5-4. Despite the comeback attempt, the Blackhawks couldn’t get the equalizer to send the game to overtime.