The Chicago Blackhawks selected forward Connor Bedard first overall in the NHL Entry Draft on Wednesday night.
Bedard, who will celebrate his 18th birthday on July 17, had 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 games with the Regina Pats of the Western Junior Hockey League (WHL) last season.
He had also written a page of history at the beginning of the month by winning the awards given to the best prospect, the best scorer and the most valuable player of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). It was the first time since the addition of the top scorer award in 1994 that a player had won all three honors in a single season.
Although Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson wouldn’t reveal his pick after winning the lottery in May, Bedard was seen as the logical selection for the team, in a draft filled with strong offensive prospects.
An impressive number of Blackhawks fans were on hand to witness the moment. These were loud before the start of the event and were no exception when Bedard’s selection was announced.
At second overall, the Anaheim Ducks selected forward Leo Carlsson. The Swede collected 25 points in 44 games last season in his native country.
Six-foot-two, 195-pound center Adam Fantilli was later picked by the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 3. If Bedard was a unanimous pick for the Blackhawks, everyone wondered what would happen to the next picks.
Fantilli played for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 2022-23. He scored 30 goals and 65 points in 36 games.
The San Jose Sharks had the fourth choice, the one before the Montreal Canadiens, and decided to take the young American Will Smith.
Smith played the last two seasons with the US National Development Program, where he totaled 70 points in 56 games.
The Habs then got their hands on the first defender of the 2023 draft, selecting David Reinbacher.
The Russian Matvei Michkov was finally selected eighth, by the Philadelphia Flyers. There were several rumors that Michkov could go down in the draft, mostly due to his current contract in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Flyers general manager Daniel Briere, however, said Michkov was probably their best prospect on their roster, after Bedard.