Bedard to make NHL debut for Blackhawks against boyhood idol Crosby

CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard said he wants to approach his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins like any other game.

But for the Chicago Blackhawks’ No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the 18-year-old who has idolized Penguins captain Sidney Crosby since his youth, that may be tough to do.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s also going out there and not being star-struck in a way. That warmup and that anthem is kind of the moment for me to be like, ‘Oh, my God, this is sick,’” he told NHL.com. “Once that puck is dropped, I just want to treat it like a hockey game and maybe reflect after.”

The puck will be dropped on Tuesday in Pittsburgh (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS), but it’s unlikely it will be just another game because it’s Bedard, pegged to be the next generational player of the NHL, against Crosby, who got the same treatment when the Penguins selected him No. 1 in the 2005 NHL Draft.

Crosby has 1,502 points (550 goals, 952 assists) in 1,190 NHL games with the Penguins. The Penguins’ captain since May 31, 2007, Crosby won the Stanley Cup with them in 2009, 2016 and 2017. He’s won a host of individual awards, including the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016 and 2017 and the Hart Trophy as the League’s most valuable player of the regular season in 2007 and 2014.

Bedard led the Western Hockey League in goals (71), points (143), shots on goal (360), points per game (2.51) and goals per game (1.25) in 57 regular-season games with Regina last season.

There are a few things Bedard admires about Crosby.

“I think his work ethic and such a good role model, the way he’s carried himself on and off the ice,” Bedard said Monday. “He’s been in that spot for almost 20 years now and seems to have handled it so well. So that’s something that is really easy to look up to.”

Bedard got to have an extended chat with Crosby at the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas in mid-September, albeit under the media glare.

“It's a little different when there's 10 people watching you and cameras breaking it down,” Crosby said recently. “It's probably not the most natural conversation I've had in my life. But I've met him previous times before that.

“We've talked hockey. I think he's a guy that's more than ready at this point. He's been dealing with the expectations for a while now. There's been a lot of pressure and things like that. I think, at this point, he's just ready to finally start and get all of that over with. Like I said earlier, you can relate to things like that. You just try to give advice if needed. But I think he's got it figured out and he'll be fine.”

Speaking of advice, Crosby had some for Bedard on Monday.

“Just enjoy it, first NHL game is what you dream of,” he said. “There are a lot of expectations, a lot of things going on around you. But that’s a game you look back on, no matter what, with a lot of great memories. I think you just try to soak it up and enjoy it.”

Bedard spent training camp adjusting to the Blackhawks’ systems, playing in four preseason games and building chemistry with left wing Taylor Hall and right wing Ryan Donato, who are expected to be his linemates Tuesday.

Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said he sees some of Crosby in Bedard’s game.

“When he’s down low and he spins off guys and he’s strong on pucks, I think that’s where you can see some similarities,” Richardson said. “I think the rest of his game is his own individual style. It’s a little bit different than Crosby, just the stature and the way he skates is a little different. I think it’s more when it’s 1-on-1 down low, spinning off and able to maintain that puck control and body control. It’s very similar there.”

Bedard has been preparing for this all his life. He’s poised and confident, especially for a teenager. But he knows once he gets on the ice, especially against Crosby, he’s obviously going to feel some emotions.

“Once the game starts, I want to be focused on the game and not be star-struck as much,” he said Monday. “But I think really that first bit is going to be pretty crazy”

One question heading into the game is if Crosby and Bedard will be on the ice for the opening face-off.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan wasn’t tipping his hand on that, saying, “we’re going to start the guys who give us the best chance to win,” but he knows this is something special.

“These two guys are for all intents and purposes, part of the face of the NHL," he said. "Sid for sure is, having been the ambassador for the League for almost two decades now and a young player in Bedard that has an exciting and optimistic future as a star in this League. That’s a great narrative, it’s one that should be celebrated. These guys are terrific players in their own right, they’re terrific people, so I understand the conversation that goes around that.

“What I’ll tell you as a coach is we don’t concern ourselves with too much of that stuff, we’re trying to win a hockey game at the end of the day and that’s the most important thing from our standpoint. But certainly, to have a close seat in watching these two players is a privilege, being a coach in this League.”

NHL.com columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika and independent correspondent Wes Crosby contributed to this report.