LAS VEGAS -- Connor Bedard had a lot on his shoulders in his rookie season, becoming the next face of the Chicago Blackhawks as an 18-year-old and being tasked with bringing them back to their glory days.
On Thursday, he capped his inaugural season with a little hardware.
“It’s a cool honor, for sure,” Bedard said after winning the Calder Trophy as the top rookie at the 2024 NHL Awards at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Thursday.
“There’s a lot of people who go into it. Obviously, it’s an individual award but it’s cool to celebrate it almost with your teammates and family, just with the help they’ve put toward it. So, it’s a cool moment for sure.”
The No. 1 pick of the Blackhawks at the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard was named on all 194 ballots from the Professional Hockey Writers Association as a top-five selection. He had 152 first-place votes and 39 second-place votes. He had 1,808 voting points.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber was next with 1,464 points (with 42 first-place votes).
“He’s a great player,” Bedard said of Faber. “There are so many great guys in the rookie class that could’ve gotten this. He was, all year, just a rock for them and what he did not only offensively but his all-around game was remarkable. He’s going to be a fun guy to watch for a lot of years.”