Bedard's fast start for Blackhawks no shock to former WHL coaches, teammates

CHICAGO -- John Paddock wanted to temper expectations regarding Connor Bedard's first few months in the NHL, but the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft is impressing his former Western Hockey League coach.

"I've always tried to have guarded optimism despite seeing him all the time on what he could do or what he looked like, but he certainly looks like he belongs in the NHL," Paddock told NHL.com. "He's met everybody's expectations and probably exceeded them to some extent."
 
Paddock is now senior adviser for Regina of the WHL after serving as its coach/general manager (2014-18 and 2012-23) and GM (2018-21). Bedard played for Regina from 2020-23.

The 18-year-old has made a smooth transition to the NHL, where he leads all rookies and the Blackhawks (7-16-1) with 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 24 games. 

His three-game point streak (one goal, two assists) ended in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators at United Center on Tuesday, but he still has a nine-game road point streak (13 points; eight goals, five assists), the longest for a rookie in Blackhawks history.

He was named NHL Rookie of the Month for November, when he had 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 12 games. 

In three December games, he has one goal and one assist heading into the Blackahawks' home game against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, BSSC, BSSD).

Those who coached or played with him in Regina have been impressed with what he's done.

Ryker Evans, a defenseman for the Seattle Kraken American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley who played with Regina in 2021-22, said Bedard is meeting expectations, and then some. 

"Well, it's pretty hard not to see him," Evans said. "He's having so much success and it's pretty cool to see. You kind of knew he was going to be able to succeed like he has so far."

Last season, Bedard became the first WHL player with at least 140 points in 27 seasons and had a 35-game point streak (90 points; 44 goals, 46 assists) from Sept. 24 to Feb. 1. He had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in seven playoff games to become the first WHL player since 2012 to score at least 10 goals in a single series.

Nevertheless, Bedard was going to have to make adjustments once he jumped to the NHL. Brad Herauf, who became Regina's coach this season after being an assistant since 2015-16, said Bedard has made improvements to his already impressive game.

"I think he's learned to play in the offensive zone, be able to create more time for himself, use his teammates," Herauf said. "Everyone talks about his scoring, but I think he's as good a playmaker and passer as a shooter sometimes.

"He's obviously playing better players, the game's become easier. Sometimes at junior level, guys couldn't execute plays at the level at which he could. I think a lot of ways, he's had to evolve because now he has people at the other end of those plays completing them."

Bedard's face-off percentage through 24 games is 41.1 percent. He won 49.1 percent of his face-offs two seasons ago with Regina, but Evans said Bedard has improved in that category from when they were teammates.

"Coming off especially the [Canadian Hockey League], there are some older guys, especially when he was 15 and you have to take draws, they just know some different things that he probably didn't know," Evans said. "So to see him learn, and he's obviously able to adapt and now he knows he's taking draws against men, and he's doing very well."

Bedard has been frustrated at times through the first quarter of the season, sometimes banging his stick against the boards or punching them once he's on the bench. Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said Bedard has been good at quickly shaking off any frustration he's feeling.

Regina assistant coach Ken Schneider, who saw that emotion from Bedard "many times in junior hockey," agreed.

"He'd come off the ice quite frustrated and upset, not at his teammates, but his own play, something he thought he should've been able to accomplish. That's just his competitive nature and he has high expectations of himself," Schneider said. "In saying that, yes, he can overcome that very quickly, be ready the next shift to try and correct that and make a play to help his team."

Bedard has handled everything well thus far for the Blackhawks. There will be more adjustments, from seeing more teams for the first time to playing an 82-game season for the first time. Those who worked with him in Regina expect him to manage that just fine too.

"I don't think he'll have any issue at all," Schneider. "He is so disciplined in terms of his preparation, far behind his years. When I speak about his preparation, it's his eating habits, sleep preparation, time away from [his] cell phone. He sets himself a time limit on how much time he's on his phone. He does all those little things to add up to performing night after night.

"He's in the spotlight with a lot of expectations and his prep in terms of his on-ice, his practice, I can be honest in saying I've never been witness to a player who could work as hard as he does. There was no one in the last two years I coached who could outwork him. No one."