McDavid, NHL stars expect Bedard to handle expectations with Blackhawks

Connor McDavid doesn’t have any advice for Connor Bedard because he said the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft “knows what he’s doing.”

But McDavid, selected No. 1 by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Draft, did have thoughts for those watching, and covering, the 18-year-old center.

“It’s a really, really hard league,” the Oilers center said last month. “It’s a league full of grown men that have been playing for a long time, and you know what? He’s a really special 18-year-old hockey player, and it’ll take some time.

“I don’t expect it to take all that much. He’s that good. But I think that’s just a reminder. It’s a really, really hard league, and there’s a lot of change going on at that age. When you’re 18 years old, you’re moving to a brand-new city. You’re moving away from home. Even in junior, you have a billet family that looks after you. At the NHL level, you don’t have that. There’s so much change when you’re that 18-year-old kid going to play in the NHL. There’s a lot of things going on. Maybe think about that if it doesn’t go perfect, not to say that I don’t think it will.”

McDavid should know all about that. When he entered the NHL in 2015 at age 18, he was labeled the NHL’s next generational talent. And that’s exactly what he became.

But for Bedard, it’s uncharted waters. Still, those who have come before him know the level of pressure and expectations that are coming his way and believe he can handle them.

“I mean, wherever you go, people want to see you,” Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby said. “They want to see you perform. And they're going to be measuring you.”

Crosby, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, was Bedard’s childhood idol, and as fate would have it, will be opposite him when Bedard makes his NHL regular-season debut on Tuesday in Pittsburgh (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS).

"I think that guys who are in that situation, I think, thankfully, they've gotten to that point because they can handle that,” Crosby said. “You know, if you're a first overall pick or if you've achieved what he has, it's not like you're waking up Day One in the NHL and have these expectations all of a sudden. So I think he's shown he can handle it. And he's dealt with it really well.”

A big reason for that is Bedard has been on the hockey radar for several years now. He was called “the future of hockey” by The Hockey News when he was 13. In March of 2020, at age 14, he was granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada, which made him eligible to play in the Western Hockey League as a 15-year-old.

“I think it’s like anything,” Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg said. “The kid has been dealing with this hype since he was probably 12, 13 years old, so how much does it really change coming to the NHL?. Clearly, it’s the hardest league in the world, so it’s going to be a little bit of a period of getting used to it, but a talent like that, he’s going to be able to handle it.”

Bedard led the WHL 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.

One of the things Bedard (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) is going to have to get used to is facing bigger, stronger players.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau (5-9, 165) can relate.

“I’d tell him try not to get hit too hard,” Gaudreau said. “There are some big boys in this league that can throw the body around pretty well. He needs to keep his head up. But he’ll be fine. He’s done it all his life, just like I did it growing up as a smaller player, playing against bigger players. He knows how to keep his head up and use his speed and skill to his advantage. I think he’s going to have a good year and I wish him the best.”

The Blackhawks brought in veteran players this offseason to help Bedard’s transition to the NHL. They acquired forwards Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno in a trade with the Boston Bruins on June 26 and forward Corey Perry in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 29. Hall, a left wing, is currently playing on the Blackhawks’ top line with Bedard. Foligno started establishing a relationship with Bedard this offseason when he texted him frequently.

“I think you definitely rely a lot on the veteran guys on the team,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “That was something that I did early. He’s got ‘Hallsy’ there. He’s got Foligno there. So, two guys that I know well, two guys that are great. They will definitely be able to help him a lot.

“I would argue the biggest thing in this game, whether you’re a rookie or anything, is mental toughness, so if things go great this year, that’s incredible. I’m obviously wishing the best for him. But as a team, as a player, individually, if things don’t go great, your mental toughness is always what you’re going to fall back on and that’s Year One through Year 20. You’ve got to have the belief and the confidence in yourself that if you have a bad game, or things aren’t going great, guess what, you look in the mirror, OK, it’s going to be all right. I’m going to find it.”

But there are always going to be surprises. Based on advice he received, John Tavares had an idea of what to expect when he entered the NHL after the New York Islanders selected him No. 1 in the 2009 NHL Draft. Still, a few things caught him off guard.

“I know for me, the grind of the season really hit me at a lot of parts of my first couple of years and also just how good the goalies were,” the Toronto Maple Leafs center said. “Everyone talked about the size and the strength of the guys you’re going against and battling, the speed and pace of the game. I just was, ‘Wow, these goalies are [freaking] good.’ I was just like, ‘Wow, the work they put in, the level of detail, how talented they are, right?’ They looked so big to me, too, compared to goalies in junior.

“That was just a huge thing that no one really ever said to me that caught my eye right away. I was like, ‘Whoa, this is a different level.’ There’ll be things that he picks up on that no one can even really tell him, that he finds interesting or is different from what he’s experienced before.”

The learning curve is there even for the best of players, and having the right outlook will be key. Center Auston Matthews, the No. 1 pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft, said he got that advice from Pat Maroon when the two played together for the United States at the IIHF World Championship in May of that year.

“He was talking about how there is never a bad day in the NHL, and even in your rookie year -- I mean this is Year Eight for me -- you’re always going to go through ups and downs throughout the season and it’s easy to get down on yourself or maybe just emotionally a little bit out of it sometimes,” Matthews said. “And trying to reel that back in can be a struggle at times, so just having that positive mindset of every day, it’s another good opportunity to go out and have fun. You’re living your dream and just take it day by day, have fun and work hard.”

The fun part has to come into play off the ice, too. With 82 games, travel, practices, video sessions and media obligations, it can be a grind. Hall, the No. 1 pick by the Oilers in 2010, said he’s learned life can’t be all hockey all the time.

“It’s important for him, when he leaves the rink, to get away from hockey, find something to do to take his mind off it,” Hall said of Bedard. “It’s a long year, and you can’t just think about hockey all the time, especially as you get later on in your career. You have to leave the game at the rink, that way when you come back to it, it feels more fresh in your brain.”

Bedard has been tasked with helping Chicago get back to its winning ways, much like former forwards Patrick Kane, the No. 1 pick by the Blackhawks in the 2007 NHL Draft, and Jonathan Toews, their selection at No. 3 in the 2006 NHL Draft. Kane and Toews helped the Blackhawks to Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015 with a strong core around them that included defensemen Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson, and forwards Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa.

The Blackhawks are expected to spend the next few seasons building around Bedard, but he stands out for now. Jack Eichel went through the same thing after he was the No. 2 pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2015 NHL Draft.

“Relax and try to enjoy it,” said Eichel, a center for the Vegas Golden Knights. “He’s worked his whole life to be in this position and play in the NHL, and just being around him, I know how hard he works. So just try not to put too much pressure on yourself.

“There’s going to be … I’m sure there’ll be a little bit of growing pains. From what I’ve seen from him, it looks like he’ll step right in and be right at home. But yeah, it’s just a new experience for him. Make sure he enjoys it. He’s playing in the NHL. It’s the best league in the world, and he deserves to make sure he’s enjoying the moment. I know he’ll have tons of success, and I wish him all the best.”

Bedard has a lot of expectations on him this season, either put there by himself or from others. It’s a big step, one that Bedard has been dreaming of taking his whole life, but those who have seen him say he’s ready.

“It’s still going to be something he'll have to learn and go through and experience but he's well prepared for it,” Crosby said. “And he's proven that he's an unbelievable player. And I'm sure with the people around him, his family and friends, they'll be able to help him out. And the team too. But from what I've seen, he's dealt with it really well.”

NHL.com Editor-In-Chief Bill Price, columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika, staff writers Amalie Benjamin, Derek Van Diest and Mike Zeisberger, and independent correspondent Dave McCarthy contributed to this report