LAS VEGAS -- Artyom Levshunov didn’t want to leave the podium, the 18-year-old reveling in the joy of his big moment.
“I was waiting for this for 18 years. Finally, somewhere,” the defenseman said after the Blackhawks selected him with the No. 2 pick at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday.
“Not somewhere, in Chicago. Feels real now. Now it feels like a dream come true.”
It’s definitely real for Levshunov (6-2, 205 pounds), who the Blackhawks are hoping will develop into their next top defenseman. They’re also hoping he’ll join center Connor Bedard, their No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft who announced Levshunov’s selection, in helping to rebuild the franchise to its glory days.
“It’ll be cool,” Levshunov said of playing with Bedard, who won the Calder Trophy as the League’s top rookie at the NHL Awards at Fontainebleau Las Vegas here on Thursday. “He’s such an unbelievable player. He’s such a good guy. It’ll be fun to play with him.”
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said they decided on taking Levshunov fairly recently.
“We always really liked him. You want to get all the information. You want to get everything in order and you don’t want to rush it either. I would say the last couple of weeks,” said Davidson, who was sold on the “total package” Levshunov brings.
“Offensively he can drive offense, he can skate, he’s super mobile, he’s got good size, he’s aggressive, he’s a physical defender and we just think there’s more upside to come,” Davidson said.
“So, just the package as well as the potential growth left to come, it was just so intriguing and something we really felt that would just make us a much better organization.”
Levshunov was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, and was also on the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Freshman Team. He was the third-youngest player in men's college hockey, ranked second nationally among freshmen at his position and tied for 10th among all defensemen with 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 38 games. A right-handed shot, Levshunov led the Big Ten with a plus-27 rating while playing a top defense pair all season.
Levshunov said he figured the Blackhawks would pick him.
“I was thinking about them because we had good conversation with them during the season and at the [NHL Scouting Combine],” he said. “They came to Buffalo and our agency camp, they came to talk with me, we went for lunch. There were a lot of teams. We talked with everyone but I’m happy that Chicago picked me and I’m happy to be part of the Blackhawks.”
