Barring something completely unexpected, the Chicago Blackhawks will draft Connor Bedard early this evening at Montreal’s Bell Centre..Bedard, touted as the best junior player since Connor McDavid, won a gold medal with Team Canada in 2021 in the U18 World Championship, and repeated the feat in 2022 and 2023 at the U20 World Juniors..The 5-ft. 10-in centreman scored 71 goals and had 143 points for the Regina Pats last season, both high-level marks for WHL players in the 21st Century. However, the Pats lost to the Saskatoon Blades in the seventh game of its first round playoff series..The NHL teams draft on June 28-29, 2023 in Nashville in the following order:.Chicago BlackhawksAnaheim DucksColumbus Blue JacketsSan Jose SharksMontreal CanadiensArizona CoyotesPhiladelphia FlyersWashington CapitalsDetroit Red Wings10.St. Louis BluesVancouver Canucks.The only other time Chicago picked first overall was when it chose Patrick Kane in 2007. The Blackhawks won three Cups between 2010 and 2015. Earlier this season, Kane was traded to the Rangers at the deadline, making Bedard the cornerstone of a rebuilding club that has not made the playoffs since 2020..First overall picks eventually led to Stanley Cups for several other teams in the past 20 years. In 2004, Washington drafted Alex Ovechkin and won in 2018. In 2003 and 2005, the Penguins got Marc-Andre Fleury and Sidney Crosby, leading to Stanley Cups in 2008, 2016, and 2017. Tampa Bay picked Steven Stamkos in 2008 and won the cup in 2020 and 2021. Colorado drafted Nathan MacKinnon in 2013 and won the cup in 2022..Eleven teams had a chance for first dibs on Bedard before the NHL draft lottery results were announced May 8. The Chicago Blackhawks sold US $2.5 million of season ticket plans within 90 minutes, including more than 500 new full-season plans..At the time, some fans took to Twitter to urge Bedard not to sign with Chicago and do what Eric Lindros did in 1991 when he refused to sign with Quebec..Prior to the lottery, Chicago had an 11.6% chance of getting the first overall pick, given their third-worst record in the league this past season. Columbus had slightly better odds, and Anaheim had the best odds at 25%. Anaheim will draft second, and Columbus, third..It was all-too-familiar for Anaheim, who also got the second overall pick in 2005 when Pittsburgh took Sidney Crosby, leaving the Ducks to take Bobby Ryan..Ironically, the Blackhawks had their origins in Regina. The Regina Capitals played in the Western Hockey League from 1921 to 1925 at a time when the WHL winner would battle the Pacific Coast Hockey Association winner before facing the NHL winner for the Stanley Cup..The franchise moved to Portland in 1925 and played one season as the Rosebuds, but the league folded in 1926. The Portland players were bought for $100,000 to form the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks expansion franchise. They won their first Stanley Cup in 1934..Previous Regina Pats selected first overall failed to meet expectations. Defenceman Greg Joly was drafted first by the Capitals in 1974, as was centre Doug Wickenheiser by the Canadiens in 1980.
