Chicago Blackhawks star forward Connor Bedard snagged a well-deserved Calder Trophy at the NHL Awards on Friday night — but he wasn't the big winner of the evening. That title belongs to Nathan MacKinnon, who finally captured his first Hart Trophy as league MVP after a terrific 2023-24 campaign.
The Colorado Avalanche superstar also took home his maiden Ted Lindsay Award, presented to the league's most outstanding player as voted on by the NHL Players' Association. And Bedard shared high praise for the Stanley Cup champion shortly after his clean sweep.
“It's remarkable to see these guys, they're getting better every year,” Bedard told reporters on Friday night when asked for his thoughts on the trio of MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. “It's just so cool to see, you know like I was talking about with Nate, just the drive, and commitment he has to the game and it's so special to watch. Just sitting back as a fan and knowing how hard that would be, it's pretty special to get to watch these guys and play against them.”
Certainly high praise from a player who hopes to one day reach the superstar status that all of MacKinnon, McDavid and Crosby have achieved in the NHL. And it got off to a great start after he was named the league's top rookie for 2023-24.
Connor Bedard well-deserving of Rookie of the Year honors
Although Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber also had a great case for the Calder Trophy, this award was Bedard's to lose. He was phenomenal in his rookie season, scoring 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games for the lowly Hawks while playing with a revolving door of linemates.
He ended up building great chemistry with Philipp Kurashev, who enjoyed a breakout campaign on Bedard's wing. The 18-year-old Bedard should be ever better next year, especially if general manager Kyle Davidson can surround him with some better talent ahead of training camp.
On paper, Chicago boasted one of the league's worst rosters last season, and former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall going down with injury early on in the campaign didn't help things. It was a real tough year in the Windy City, but Bedard kept things exciting whenever he was on the ice.
He even battled through a broken jaw that cost him 14 games and over six weeks of the season. Returning from that ailment in a fishbowl, Bedard continued to play great offensive hockey, culminating in a well-deserved Rookie of the Year distinction.
The last time a Hawks rookie won the Calder Trophy was back in 2016 when Artemi Panarin broke onto the scene and enjoyed an insanely productive freshman season. A big part of that success was Patrick Kane, who won the same award back in 2008.
It's likely that Bedard will be even better next year now that he has a full campaign in the books, and that will be especially true if the front office brings in another top-line player to pair with the young phenom in 2024-25.
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