New Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard was thrilled at the opportunity to take on one of his childhood idols in his first career NHL game. The Blackhawks selected Bedard with the first overall pick in the NHL Draft, and he is in line to play Pittsburgh Penguins legend Sidney Crosby on opening night.

When asked about the chance that he may face-off against the future hall of famer, the 17-year-old tried to keep it cool, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

“I was trying not to look at the schedule. People were telling me, I didn’t want to look too hard. Man, if I’m able to make the squad come October… That’s my idol ever since I can remember. That’d be unbelievable,” Bedard said.

Bedard stayed humble with the quip about making the squad, but he is essentially a lock to be one of the Blackhawks best offensive stars immediately. He's known that he was heading to Chicago since the draft lottery earlier this month, but the moment was still incredibly special for the youngster.

The odds for this first matchup have already been released on FanDuel Sportsbook, and the Penguins opened as a -194 favorite over the visiting Hawks. Chicago spent most of last season as an underdog, and landed them with a 28-42-12 record.

They have a lot to improve on in the 2023-24 campaign, and Bedard will go a long way to providing that. The Blackhawks also signed another former No. 1 pick Taylor Hall this week, after a three year stint with the Bruins. He will bring strong veteran experience to combine with Bedard's skill as the franchise rebuilds.