Connor Bedard to represent Blackhawks at NHL All-Star Game in Toronto
Connor Bedard was named an NHL All-Star on Thursday.
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NEW YORK — In the least surprising news of the new year so far, rookie sensation Connor Bedard will represent the Blackhawks at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, the league announced Thursday.
If he does end up playing in the game, he’ll become the youngest All-Star Game participant in league history and the first rookie All-Star since Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes in 2020. Kraken forward Matty Beniers was selected last year but ultimately missed it due to injury. He’ll also be the Hawks’ first rookie All-Star since Tony Esposito in 1970.
Thirty-two All-Stars were announced Thursday — one from every team — but 12 more will be chosen via fan vote, although there’s essentially zero chance any of Bedard’s Hawks teammates factor into that.
The format has been reimagined for this year’s weekend festivities Feb. 1-3 at Scotiabank Arena. Thursday will feature a fantasy draft to divide the 44 All-Stars into four teams (instead of dividing them by division), Friday will feature a tightened-up skills competition with 12 players competing for a $1 million prize and Sunday will feature three games of three-on-three hockey.
After the Hawks sent Seth Jones to the event last winter — simply because every team is required to have a representative — Bedard will likely attract a lot more attention this time around.
He’ll rub shoulders with the likes of Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Toronto’s Auston Matthews, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Boston’s David Pastrnak and Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov, who were among the biggest names announced Thursday.
The Hawks’ communications staff did not make Bedard available to talk about his selection after the Hawks’ 4-1 loss Thursday against the Rangers, but coach Luke Richardson did mention it.
“I’m sure that’s a very exciting time for him and his family,” Richardson said. “He has had a really good start.
“There’s still lots of things for an 18-year-old to learn in this league, but one of them is how to handle the highs and the lows. Right now, our team is on a low, so all the players individually feel partly responsible and that they could do better. But this is a good perk for him to put in his pocket, and hopefully gives a little lift to him and a spark to his game.”
With 33 points in 37 games, Bedard ranked 48th in the NHL in scoring entering Thursday, but he’s still the leading rookie scorer by a large margin after being named the NHL’s rookie of the month in both November and December. Highlight-reel plays like his lacrosse goal Dec. 23 in St. Louis have only boosted his already astronomical star status.
Considering how productive he has managed to be despite his meager offensive supporting cast, it would be very difficult to argue he doesn’t deserve this honor — and since every team is guaranteed a representative, he was a slam-dunk choice for the league.
His first half-season of NHL action hasn’t been without adversity and learning moments, though. He has now gone four consecutive games without a goal while tallying just one assist over that stretch, and scoring chances have also proven harder to come by since his big performance Dec. 27 against the Jets.
“He’s got that good shot,” Richardson said. “We’ve got to get [him] to use that more. And that’s not being selfish; that’s just being a good team guy and taking what’s given to you in front of you.”