Bedard, family enjoy 'amazing' night in Montreal

MONTREAL – Connor Bedard was given the same treatment by fans at Montreal's Bell Centre on Saturday as many other gifted, game-changing players have received before him.

He was booed.

"I loved it, it was great," the Chicago Blackhawks' highly touted, point-per-game rookie said after his team's entertaining 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the latter's home opener.

"I thought it was awesome. I haven't done anything yet, I'm just starting, but to get that right now is good. It's more fun when the crowd's really into it like that."

Bedard got his third NHL point, an assist on Tyler Johnson's goal with 1:21 left in the third period, adding it to his first-game assist at the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-2 win Tuesday and his maiden NHL goal the next night in a 3-1 at the Boston Bruins.

On Saturday, the 18-year-old skated 23:02 over 20 shifts (14:39 at even-strength, 8:23 on the power-play), his ice time trailing only two defensemen: the 25:40 of teammate Seth Jones and 24:34 of the Canadiens' Mike Matheson.

Bedard finished the night with five shots on goal, three more blocked and four missing the target, one giveaway and one blocked shot. He'll have better nights in the face-off circle, winning one of nine draws for an 11 percent success rate.

And he had his lip cut by the high stick of Montreal's Sean Monahan with 24 seconds to play, the ensuing double-minor to Monahan putting fans on the edge of their seats for Chicago's last-gasp bid to tie, the visitor having clawed back from a 3-0 hole.

Bell Centre was rocking with the energy of 21,105 for the 106th NHL home opener of the Canadiens, who improved their overall record to 60-29-17; they're now 9-4-3 in the 16 times the Blackhawks have been the visitor.

Watching in an arena suite were Bedard's parents, Tom and Melanie, and his sister, Madisen. With them were Canadiens legends Bob Gainey and Serge Savard; the two Hockey Hall of Famers and former captains flanked player agent Don Meehan, whose firm, Newport Sports Management, represents Bedard.

"It was amazing -- not the outcome we wanted but the passion of Montreal hockey and their fans, it was just really exciting to be a part of it," Melanie Bedard said postgame outside the Blackhawks dressing room, her son around the corner in front of his latest forest of cameras and microphones. "You could feel it even before we got into the building, all the excitement and energy."

And then, with a laugh:

"And the booing. All the booing of Connor."

Bedard stepped onto Bell Centre ice at 6:36 p.m., scooped a puck onto his stick and rang a shot crisply off the left goal post.

So began warmup for his first NHL game in Canada, taking his first shot under the retired-number banners of Canadiens icons Maurice Richard, Butch Bouchard, Elmer Lach and Howie Morenz.

He left the ice exactly 15 minutes later, having drilled his last 10 pucks into the net.

Bedard's first official shot would come at the other end of the rink seven minutes into the first period, shoveled from the edge of the crease into the pads of Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembault during a Chicago power play.

Almost every step has been a career first for Bedard since he was selected No. 1 by the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville.

Tom Bedard has missed not a second of it. The player's father has had a close-up of the teenager's steep learning curve, saying that his son's ability thus far to handle the enormous pressure and fish-bowl attention is the product of his path to the Blackhawks.

"It's been a slow trickle to this point," he said. "Connor has had pressure and fandom, not like this of course, but he's had a bit of training through hockey until now. He's continuing on with the same mindset he had in the World Juniors and in the past (with the major-junior Regina Pats), continuing to build on those learning experiences."

Bedard enjoyed a historic 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship for Canada, scoring a national-record 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) while leading his country to the gold medal, the youngest to earn the tournament's most valuable player award since the prize was established in 2004.

"Connor just really loves the game," Melanie Bedard said. "I don't think that to this point he's paid too much attention to the pressure, he's just a regular guy who loves hockey.

"It sounds cliche, but he's been so fortunate on the whole journey to have had amazing teammates and coaches. Tom and I are both impressed and sometimes a little surprised by how he does handle himself in all of this."

Bedard now heads to Toronto, like Montreal a charter member of the NHL with a rich history and rabid fan base. His family was flying there Sunday, the Blackhawks visiting the Maple Leafs on Monday (7 p.m. ET, TVAS, SN, NBCSCH).

"I'll try to see 80 of Connor's games this season," his father said with a laugh, gently reminded by his wife about "that darn job thing" that might get in the way.

"We're day by day. We'll see when we can go and what makes sense. Hopefully, quite a few. We'll see how it goes."

Chicago's five-game season-opening road trip ends Thursday in Colorado against the Avalanche (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, SNP, SNW, SN1, TVAS) before their home opener against the defending Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, SCRIPPS, NBCSCH).

Bedard, and his family, eagerly await Chicago's crushingly loud United Center, known as the Madhouse on Madison.

"I've heard stories about how amazing it is at the United Center," Tom Bedard said. "There was a lot of energy there even in the preseason."

If it's been a whirlwind start to the season for Bedard, so too has it been for his family.

"We hadn't originally planned on being at all of these first few games," Melanie Bedard said. "Donnie said that he had a suite here and that (Newport) was going to be in Pittsburgh.

"To have the opportunity to be at all of these opening nights – in Pittsburgh, then Boston with Bobby Orr and the start of the Bruins' centennial season, then Montreal, all these buildings where the fan bases are so passionate… it's been an amazing experience. To be a part of that and see those rinks and those fans, it's been really special."

She did admit to being happy to be leaving Montreal on Sunday, and not because of the final score Saturday.

"With the incredible restaurants in this city," she said, "I'd hate to see how much weight we'd put on if we stayed."