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"Maybe not as good as I hoped": Connor Bedard reflects on his rookie Blackhawks season
Connor Bedard has had a rookie season for the ages. When he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2023, there was some serious hype surrounding the player, and the 18-year-old has lived up to every inch of that expectation. However, it seems Bedard is not entirely happy with his rookie campaign.
Despite missing out on a considerable number of games since sustaining a broken jaw injury after a violent hit by New Jersey Devils' Brendan Smith, Connor Bedard has managed to set a handful of records over the course of the season. However, the same cannot be said of the Chicago Blackhawks as they finished 8th in the Central Division with a record of 23-53-5.
While reflecting on his rookie season with the Blackhawks, Bedard expressed mixed sentiments.
“Personally, I think I was OK a lot, but maybe not as good as I hoped. But that’s part of it. [I’m] just learning. I feel like I improved throughout the year, which is big. But for this summer, I’ve got a lot of areas to improve,” Connor Bedard said. [H/T Chicago Sun Times]
Being a team player as always, the star Center has time and again prioritized his team’s success over his own. However, Bedard did admit that he had a somewhat satisfactory rookie campaign, at least on an individual plane.
Connor Bedard’s rookie season in numbers
Despite missing over a month due to injury, Bedard leads all rookies in goals (22), points (61), even-strength points (39), game-opening goals (7), and takeaways (47) in 67 games. He also tops first-year forwards in average ice time per game (19:46) and power-play points (21).
The youngster has already broken the Blackhawks franchise record for the most opening goals (7) in a single season, which was previously held by Denis Savard and Murray Balfour at six each.
Additionally, Bedard set a new franchise record for rookies by registering the most shots on goal, with an impressive total of 205. He was originally picked for the 2024 NHL All-Star game and could have been the youngest All-Star in league history, had he not suffered the jaw injury.
Bedard's exceptional performance has garnered him 72 voting points in NHL.com's Trophy Tracker, including 12 first-place votes. While other rookies like Brock Faber and Luke Hughes have had remarkable seasons, Bedard's consistency and impact make him the clear favorite for the Calder Trophy.
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