Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard has been airtight so far in 2024. The ballyhooed rookie has tallied 12 goals and 17 assists in the first 32 games of the season.
However, it's the individual highlights—the moments that hint at his massive, once-in-a-generation potential—that have captivated hockey fans diehard and casual alike. Bedard provided one such highlight Saturday night during an otherwise run-of-the-mill game between the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues.
About four minutes into the first period, a Bedard miss ricocheted out to Chicago center Philipp Kurashev. Kurashev found Bedard behind the net, and the 18-year-old scooped up the puck and fed it into the goal lacrosse-style to tie the game 1–1.
⚠️ CONNOR BEDARD MICHIGAN GOAL‼️ THIS IS NOT A DRILL. ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/KPWcsVGzo0
— NHL (@NHL) December 24, 2023
The outrageous goal, instantly identified as a "Michigan" (after former Wolverines right wing Mike Legg, who popularized it), capped a high-profile week in which Bedard posed for photos with San Antonio Spurs rookie forward Victor Wembanyama.
With Bedard pulling out moves like this in December, it seems evident that the NHL—and the forlorn, 10-21-1 Blackhawks–are in good shape going forward.
