Connor Bedard is a special player, and he’s got so many years ahead of him in the NHL. Bedard is now in his sophomore year in the world’s best hockey league and has already shown that he’s improved from his impressive rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
When the Blackhawks won the draft lottery last year, it was obvious to everyone that they had Bedard on their mind. He’s been a generational talent for a long time, breaking records in the WHL for the Regina Pats and in the World Junior Championship.
The Chicago Blackhawks have been in rebuild mode for the last couple of years, not in playoff contention. But Bedard has already proved that they’ll be a team to count on in the future, and the 19-year-old has been one of the few positives throughout last year and the beginning of this.
Bedard didn’t want Hawaii vacation
Hockey has always been everything for Bedard, long before he played in the NHL. He grew up a 10-minute bike ride from several ice rinks in North Vancouver. One time, Bedard tried to convince his family not to go on a vacation to Hawaii, as it meant that Connor wouldn’t be able to play hockey.
His parents made a compromise with him, and he was allowed to take his in-line skates and a hockey stick with him.
Neighbors had enough of young Bedard
Connor Bedard also took every chance he could to work on his shot and stickhandling at home. Growing up, he spent countless hours shooting pucks in front of the family’s house. Bedard scored most of the shots, but unfortunately, some missed … and crashed the occasional window.
Things even got to the point that one of the family’s neighbors built a shooting gallery for the Bedard’s backyard, per Chicagomag.com. There, Connor could shoot with the help of a plywood platform, with a net surrounding the gallery, protecting pucks from causing any damage.
Bedard used it all the time, and still does. When he was home during this summer’s off-season, the shootout gallery came to good use again. And that’s also the hilarious reason why Bedard never wants his parents to sell his childhood home.
”I can’t let my parents sell the house,” he told Chicagomag.
