"I'm my own person, own player" - Connor Bedard addresses early comparisons to Connor McDavid

By Sukanya Banerjee

Modified Aug 30, 2023 19:46 GMT

Connor Bedard is the hockey center for the NHL-renowned Chicago Blackhawks. The team had selected him as the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft Entry. The 18-year-old Blackhawks forward recently spoke about all the assistance he has been receiving from Oilers Captain Connor McDavid,

“He says a lot of good stuff and he's obviously one of, if not the best player in the world. That's someone I've been able to be a sponge with and ask some questions.”

Connor has been compared to the league’s stellar player Connor McDavid, who has been winning hearts ever since he made his debut in 2015. The Blackhawks hockey prospect commented on his comparison to the Oilers star, where he talked about the hard work he did throughout his training camp with the team.

Bedard is expected to make his NHL debut after being a profound minor leaguer in the match against the Penguins on October 10 in the upcoming season. However, when it comes to gaining knowledge from McDavid about the upcoming expeditions, Bedard expressed his views on being negligent of outside noise and focusing on his gameplay, as both the NHL centers love the league a lot.

When asked about his comparison with the Edmonton Oilers captain McDavid, Bedard said in his recent interview on Tuesday,

“You never want to be like, 'Oh I can't do this.’ I don't think that mindset is great. But I'm not him and I'm my own person, my own player. I think he's the pinnacle right now and you're like, 'This guy is the best or one of the best.' How can I get closer to him?"

Bedard added,

"That's such a great thing; in sports, you're always competing against guys, competing against teams, and you want to win. For me to get to spend time with him, be on the ice with him, and just try to compete with him, he's obviously unbelievable.”

Will Connor Bedard be a deserving captain for the Chicago Blackhawks?

The Western Hockey League's history has already recorded Bedard's name as the captain of the team. Bedard's domination with the Reginas was evident with his 71 goals, 143 points, and astounding 360 shots on goal during 57 regular-season games.

Despite his magnificent prowess on the ice, he is yet to establish his stance in the Chicago Blackhawks’ team and take the position of Jonathan Toews, who led the team since his second season in the NHL.