Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard on Thursday became the youngest player in NHL history to be selected to the All-Star Game. Bedard, now 18 years old and 171 days old, will pass Buffalo Sabers forward Jeff Skinner, who previously held the record.
The 2024 All-Star Game will be held on February 3, when Bedard would have been 18 years and 203 days old. Skinner was 18 years and 259 days old at the time of the 2011 All-Star Game.
The Blackhawks selected Bedard with the first pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and he did not disappoint.
Entering Thursday, the center had played in 18-37 games and had 15 goals and assists. He leads Chicago in both categories and leads all rookies in the NHL. Bedard was also named Newcomer of the Month in both November and December.
The Blackhawks are in 8th place in the Central Division with 11 wins, 24 losses, and 2 losses.
Why was Bedard chosen?
Be a cynic, but the league just wants the big names in the game for marketing purposes, which is why they put Bedard, the most promising and exciting rookie in the league, front and center in one of their marquee events. Some people may say that they are thinking about it. Even a hard-nosed realist would say there are no other viable options for a Blackhawks team languishing at the bottom of the standings and riddled with injuries.
But the truth is, Bedard is eligible to play in the All-Star Game. It’s hard to overstate how impressive he was. It’s not just that he has 15 goals and 18 assists in 37 games as an 18-year-old, he’s doing it with little help on a roster full of bottom-six and AHL/NHL tweeners. I’m saying that. Bedard’s linemates this season have been depth forwards like Nick Foligno, Filip Kurashev, Ryan Donato and Anthony Beauvillier, who aren’t typically top-line talent. Still, he just keeps creating.
And it’s not just the numbers, as he racks up those numbers, whether it’s picking Nikita Kucherov’s pocket to make it a 2-on-1, or stealing the puck along the goal line and overturning a no-look against Florida. Often in a brilliant way. , short side flicks, or the patented drag-and-drive release for the goalie to simply let shot after shot fly by. Bedard has somehow lived up to the almost ridiculous hype surrounding him, and he’s not even 18 1/2 years old yet.
This kid is an All-Star Game player and will definitely be a fixture there for years to come. — Mark Lazeroth, NHL Senior Writer
Why this matters to the NHL
No player in NHL history has entered the league with as much buzz as Bedard. When the likes of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby burst onto the scene, social media wasn’t what it is today. The entire hockey world knew about Bedard long before he joined the league.
Since his arrival, he has done nothing to extinguish the hype. He attracts many fans, not just hockey fans, to watch his games. He’s been talked about in areas that don’t usually talk about hockey. And that will continue to benefit the NHL as he gets bigger and bigger.
For the league to have him in the All-Star Game, and rightfully so, will only continue to build that platform. — Scott Powers, Blackhawks Senior Writer
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(Photo: Dilip Vishwanat / NHLI, Getty Images)
