Bedard signs entry-level contract with Chicago
Regina Pats star Connor Bedard has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks made Bedard the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft after an astonishing 2022-23 season where he led the CHL with 71 goals and 143 points in just 57 games.
The 41st CHL player selected first overall since 1969, Bedard was the first WHL player in 27 years to top 140 points in the regular season while his 71 goals were the most by a WHL player in 24 years. In the postseason, he recorded 20 points (10 goals) in seven games.
Bedard, who turned 18 Monday, also led the CHL in shots (360) and points per game (2.51). At season’s end, the North Vancouver, B.C. native collected the David Branch Player of the Year, Kubota Top Draft Prospect Award and CHL Top Scorer Award to become the first player in league history to collect all three awards in one season.
At the 2023 World Juniors in Halifax, Bedard recorded an astonishing 23 points in just seven games as he claimed a second consecutive gold medal. Bedard’s 17 goals and 36 points, tallied across two World Juniors, are the most ever by a Canadian in tournament history. Bedard was named the IIHF’s Player of the Year last month.
Winner of the Four Broncos Trophy of WHL Player of the Year, Bedard was also the recipient of the 2023 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence in June.
Over the course of 134 WHL games, Bedard tallied 271 points (134 goals).
Sign your first NHL contract on your birthday ✅ pic.twitter.com/qM7Wy3EVRd
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 17, 2023