Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini have quite a bit in common. They both hail from British Columbia, were the No. 1 overall picks in the NHL Draft and cannot legally drink when they are in the United States. Perhaps, most importantly, they were tapped to be future stars of the sport. Well, the future is now.
Bedard and Celebrini combined to achieve a truly remarkable feat on Tuesday, while also leading their respective squads to victory. They each scored three goals, marking only the second time ever that two players 20 or younger recorded a hat trick on the same night, per OptaSTATS. The other time it happened? Bud Poile and Jack Hamilton went bonkers for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 19, 1944, more than a year before World War II officially ended.
These two hockey prodigies are taking the league by storm and are already competing for an Art Ross Trophy. Celebrini secured his hat trick at the most crucial juncture of the game, ripping a goal in overtime to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win over the Utah Mammoth. He now has 30 points in just 19 games played, causing fans to reconsider what a 19-year-old is capable of accomplishing. Of course, this is no average teenager.
Bedard, much like Celebrini did later on, put on a sensational performance for the home crowd. The Chicago Blackhawks center displayed exquisite touch and control in a 5-2 victory versus the Calgary Flames. He astonishingly tapped the puck through goaltender Dustin Wolf's legs on a breakaway for his first goal of the evening and clinched the hat trick with an empty-netter in the final minute. The 20-year-old has tallied seven goals and 15 points this month.
Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini are forcing their franchises back into relevance by playing with skill and composure well beyond their years. They are no longer promising talents or players to watch. They arrived and are setting up camp near the NHL's upper echelon.
