Bedard set to play against another No. 1 draft pick when Blackhawks visit Avalanche

DENVER -- Connor Bedard has been tested against fellow No. 1 picks in the first week of his NHL career.

The Chicago Blackhawks forward faced his idol, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, in his debut. He played against Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, whom he’s modeled his shot after, on Monday.

On Thursday, he’ll face Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche in game that will be televised nationally in the United States and Canada (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SNP, SNW, SN1, TVAS).

Welcome to the NHL, Connor.

“The way he skates and how he attacks guys are probably his best features, his hockey IQ,” Bedard said of MacKinnon. “I like to watch guys like him and even (forward Mikko) Rantanen is someone I like to watch a lot too. So smart, and he compliments MacKinnon so well. Both of those guys are fun to watch and I’m excited to go against them.”

The feeling is mutual, according to MacKinnon. 

"He looks awesome," MacKinnon said Thursday of Bedard. "I caught a couple of his games. He looks really good and he’s very dynamic, obviously. I don’t need to tell you how good he is. I know he works really hard, being around him a little bit. Definitely expect his game and it’s going to be tough tonight to contain him."

In his first four games, the 18-year-old, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has three points (one goal, two assists) and the Blackhawks are 2-2-0.

He had one assist in his debut Oct. 10 against the Penguins and Crosby, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft. After scoring his first NHL goal in a loss to the Bruins the next night, he had an assist in a 3-2 loss at the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. On that team was Juraj Slafkovsky, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Bedard was held scoreless in a 4-1 win Monday against the Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, and John Tavares, the No. 1 pick of the New York Islanders in 2009.

When he faces MacKinnon, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, he will become the second No.1 pick in NHL history to face at least five No. 1 picks in his first five career NHL games. Nico Hischier, the No. 1 pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2017, faced six No. 1 picks through his first five games.

Chicago coach Luke Richardson said the opening gauntlet of games has been great for Bedard.

“I’m sure he’s watched these players and learned from them in the past, but playing matchup 1-on-1, you really learn on the fly,” Richardson said. “I know as a young player it makes you physically stronger as well. That’s part of it too. He’s playing against the top athletes in our sport and those guys, they’re machines. So, it’s making him stronger every repetition he goes against them.”

Bedard got off to the same start in his NHL career as MacKinnon with a point in their NHL debut, they each started their career with a three-game points streak and each scored their first goal at the age of 18.

Each already has a lot of shots on goal this season; MacKinnon is tied with Matthews for third in the League with 21, Bedard is next with 20.

But MacKinnon said his 18-year-old self was nowhere close to where Bedard is now. 

"I mean, I didn’t have nearly a tenth of what he’s got going on," MacKinnon said. "He’s a lot better than me at 18, that’s for sure. So, yeah, he’s handling it really well, I think, very mature. He looks great.

MacKinnon has 762 points (285 goals, 477 assists) in 712 games. He spent time with Bedard at the 2023 BioSteel NHL Camp in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in August, calling him, “an awesome player.”

Bedard said he got to know MacKinnon just a little bit at the camp.

"He seems like a really good guy," Bedard said Thursday. "I don’t know him crazy well but he’s really nice to me and obviously a special player. So exciting to go against him.

The Avalanche know what they’re dealing with when it comes to Bedard.

"People are calling him a generational player. I think you've seen his skill set so far this season, he definitely looks to have those attributes,” Colorado forward Logan O’Connor said. “They're a hungry team. They've got a lot of young guys that are trying to prove something, and it's just going to be fun playing in front of our crowd.”

Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev said despite the hype surrounding Bedard’s visit, they have to treat it like any other game.

“He seems to be a really, really good player, but I think there are a lot of players like that in the League [who are] special and good offensively,” Georgiev said. “So, I think just preparing for the game like usual and we'll have a good pre-scout and get ready for them.”

The Avalanche have been ready for everything so far, off to a 3-0-0 start. The Blackhawks are looking for a win against them to wrap up their five-game road trip to start the season. Regardless of the outcome, it will be another valuable learning experience for Bedard to play against another No. 1 pick.

"They’ve got a lot of guys who have been successful in the League for the long time," Bedard said. "Whenever you get that to challenge yourself against the best, it’s a lot of fun. Of course they won the Cup not long ago (2022), so they’re a team that’s been there and knows what it takes. For us to get that challenge tonight will be great."

NHL.com independent correspondents Ryan Boulding and Darren Brown contributed to this report