‘They’re getting an outstanding person’: Regina Pats react to Blackhawks winning NHL draft lottery

The Chicago Blackhawks won the NHL draft lottery Monday night and will have the opportunity to select Regina Pats’ captain Connor Bedard first overall in June.

“They’re getting an outstanding person, an outstanding young man, who puts nothing in the way of being a hockey player. That’s his dream and he lives it and prepares for it every day,” Regina Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock said.

“Chicago is a beatific city. It’s a great hockey town. I think that’s one thing he’s got going for himself is you know they’re in that rebuild stage right now. So I think Connor is going to probably help them speed that up,” Pats assistant coach Brad Herauf said.

The last time the Blackhawks won the lottery was in 2007 when they selected Patrick Kane who helped them win three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015. Bedard will now look to fill those shoes now that Kane and long time captain, Jonathan Toews are no longer with the organization.

“Look at recent history. Whether it be Eric Lindros, who ultimately got traded, or Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid. That’s what a player of Connor Bedard’s stature does for a franchise. It puts you into a position where you can legitimately say, we will contend for a Stanley Cup,” TSN hockey analyst Craig Button said.

The last Regina Pats player to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft was Sam Steel in 2016 who went 30th overall to the Anaheim Ducks. Paddock believes Steel and Bedard are similar on and off the ice.

“They were the centrepieces of teams. Sam had a deeper supporting cast. Connor didn’t have the supporting cast on an individual basis. Connor certainly exceeded Sam. He basically exceeded everybody that’s played in the league in some way shape or form. But they were really good people, good team guys who cared about the team and each wore the ‘C’,” Paddock said.

The North Vancouver product led all junior players across Canada with 72 goals and 143 points this past season. In his three year WHL career, the 17-year-old recorded 134 goals and 271 points in 134 games. If Bedard joins the Blackhawks, it will not be the first time he has been selected first overall. The Pats took the forward first overall in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft.

“I remember watching the draft with Gord Pritchard, it was kind of a broken stream. We were kind of talking like, ‘Oh Prince George got the pick’ and kind of forgot that we had the Prince George Pick,” Herouf said with a laugh.

“Just from where we were at that time, he jump-started us and just the excitement he brought here. Just being around him for the first time, I was completely blown away that a 15-year-old was able to do that kind of stuff on the ice.”

“We knew what were getting to some extent, but just like now he has to go out and prove it and I’m pretty confident he will,” Paddock said.

The NHL draft will take place on June 28 and 29 in Nashville, Tenn.