Connor Bedard knows he has a lot to improve as his rookie season rolls on. At the beginning of the year, a focus was on puck management. Now, there’s an emphasis on his performance in the Blackhawks’ defensive zone, winning faceoffs and continuing to make plays.
“I’ve been all right in making plays and creating, but you always want to do more as an offensive player, create more,” Bedard said Wednesday morning before the Hawks hosted the Jets. “Hopefully I can do that.”
Yes, Bedard has been pretty good at creating plays, as he showed Saturday against the Blues when he completed his most spectacular move yet.
During the first period of what turned into a humbling 7-5 loss to St. Louis, Bedard scored a lacrosse-style “Michigan” goal. In short, Bedard held the puck on his stick in the air behind the Blues’ net long enough to control it and dump it over goalie Jordan Binnington’s shoulder.
As things do these days, the goal quickly went viral through hockey social media, and with good reason. Plus luck, lacrosse-style goals require core strength, hand-eye coordination, excellent puck control and quick-twitch ability only few athletes possess.
Wayne Gretzky, the greatest scorer of all time, said he couldn’t do what Bedard did. That praise got back to Bedard, who was born six years after Gretzky’s last game in 1999.
“It’s cool. Obviously probably one if not the best player to ever play the game,” Bedard said. “The fact that he knows who I am is pretty cool. To hear him talk about me and have him say some kind words is special.”
Did Bedard think Gretzky could pull off a Michigan?
“Maybe not with the curve that he was using,” Bedard quipped. “No, I’m sure if he tried, he could do it pretty well.”
Nobody will know if Gretzky could’ve actually scored in that way, but Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras once again left no doubt he could just a few hours after Bedard’s first Michigan. Known as one of the game’s flashiest players, Zegras completed a lacrosse-style goal in a loss to the Kraken, the third of his career.
“He texted me. It was kind of funny,” Bedard said. “It’s rare for them to go in. For a couple to happen on the same night, it’s a funny coincidence.”
A modest Bedard was asked which goal was better.
“I liked Zegras’ [goal],” Bedard said. “He picked it up kind of with his toe there, so I think that’s a little harder.”
As Bedard said, lacrosse-style goals are rare. Not only do they require immense skill, but time behind the net. Zegras didn’t exactly call his shot, but did tell a Ducks TV reporter pregame that he would try to score a Michigan.
“If it’s there, I just see it as a good scoring chance,” Bedard said. “Obviously, it’s fancier. I think goalies are obviously getting more certain of reading it and stuff, but sometimes might catch them off guard. If it’s there, it was obviously there for myself and him, we both got fortunate that we scored one.”
Scoring Michigan goals is nice, but they only happen once in a while at most. Bedard is striving to be a complete player who can help his team beyond the highlight-reel moves.
“I think it’s not bad. Obviously there’s a lot of areas to improve,” Bedard said. “I think that’s my goal here on a personal level. The goal is to win hockey games, but from a personal standpoint, it’s just keep improving and try to get more comfortable and better each game.”