Connor Bedard compares himself to NHL superstar in latest interview
Photo credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard compared himself to Nathan MacKinnon in a recent interview.
Expectations were high for Connor Bedard when he came into the NHL at only 18 years old after being drafted 1st overall in 2023 by the Chicago Blackhawks.
That's why even he was widely criticized by fans and media in the past year or so, even if he had great seasons for an 18-year-old.
Not all generational talent can come into the NHL and score over a point per game right away like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid did.
For Connor Bedard, who entered his third NHL season earlier this month, the comparisons are more realistic with Nathan MacKinnon.
Connor Bedard Compares Himself To Nathan MacKinnon In New Interview
Entering the NHL at a young age isn't easy. Even extremely talented players don't always make a big splash in the league in their first seasons.
Connor Bedard won the Calder Trophy in his rookie year, with a 61-point season. While this is a respectable production, it wasn't a spectacular season, like Crosby and McDavid had.
His rookie season looked more like Nathan MacKinnon's. The Avs leader also won the Calder, with a 63-point season, but averaged only 56 points per 82 games in his first four NHL seasons.
Then, in his fifth season, he scored 97 points in 74 games, at 22 years old.
Bedard opened up on these comparisons in an interview, saying he knows what mentality to have if he wants to succeed. While he added that he doesn't want to compare his journey to someone else's, he talked about players like MacKinnon and Jack Hughes who took more time before reaching their full potential.
In his own words:
.Not everyone's winning the Hart Trophy at 19, like Crosby, McDavid. That's hard to do. [MacKinnon] is someone, Jack Hughes, most guys at 18, 19, when I came into the league at 18, I thought, 'I'm going to be the best,' and then last year, 'I'm going to be the best,' and that's the mentality I have to have.
I don't really want to compare my path to another guy's path. There's been a lot of guys that maybe at 18, 19 didn't light the league on fire and then did eventually."
I don't really want to compare my path to another guy's path. There's been a lot of guys that maybe at 18, 19 didn't light the league on fire and then did eventually."
As of now, Bedard, 20, tallied six points in six games with the Hawks. Fans are eager to see if he'll be able to maintain that rhythm all year long.
Previously on Hawks Insider
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