TORONTO — Auston Matthews peeked at the first six games of Connor Bedard‘s NHL career and dubbed it “the all-circus tour.”
• Opening night in Pittsburgh, where Sidney Crosby — Bedard’s idol — is snapping back faceoffs like a grudge and ESPN is interviewing the 18-year-old pre-game, in-game, and post-game.
• A back-to-back in Boston, another opponent’s home opener, where new captain Brad Marchand is sour and rested from a Round 1 exit and eager to welcome his fellow Canadian to the league.
• Off to Montreal on a Saturday, Hockey Night in Canada’s flagship game, a third home opener for the other guys and Bedard’s first NHL game in his home country. Only to get lustily booed every time he touched the puck. “I loved it,” target Bedard said. “I thought it was awesome.”
• Scoot west to Toronto Monday, the so-called mecca, for a showdown with the scorching-hot Matthews — only gunning for a third consecutive hat trick, a feat never accomplished — and a media-rich market that had Maple Leafs PR bracing for requests for this game a month ago.
• Zip southwest to Colorado, where Nathan MacKinnon and the Cup-contending Avalanche will be waiting.
• Finally, return home to Chicago. But no time to squeeze in a practice prior to the Blackhawks’ own home opener… against the Vegas Golden Knights — the sport’s champions and most complete team.
Whew.
In hockey, torches don’t get passed. They must be pried from the steely grip of proud veterans.
“It’s hard to kind of comprehend everything until you go through it, honestly,” says Matthews, a fellow first-overall draft pick dropped into a frenzied Original Six market.
When a pre-facial-hair Matthews first entered the ring, he leaned on advice Team USA mate Pat Maroon shared at the 2016 world championships.
“There’s never a bad day in the NHL,” Maroon stressed.
Matthews has tried to heed that from Year One. He wishes the same for Bedard.
“It’s easy to get down on yourself, or it’s easy to get maybe emotionally a little bit out of it. Sometimes just trying to reel that back in can be a struggle,” Matthews explains. “So, I think just always having a positive mindset of every day is a good opportunity to go out, have fun.”
First-goal photograph notwithstanding, Bedard does look like he’s finding joy in the hoopla.
“It’s been a lot of fun for me,” Bedard told reporters Sunday. “Of course, there’s been a lot of media, a lot of attention on it, but I’m just focused on playing hockey.”
Despite Chicago’s hectic schedule, the franchise-saviour tag, and the gratuitous media requests, rink rat Bedard is still staying out late to practice, throwing himself into the games by making fearless plays, availing himself for the microphones, and spinning positive after losses.
Bedard has also put up three points through three games, skated a healthy 22:05 per night, and has ripped 16 shots on net.
“He’s handling it really well. He does way too many in-game interviews and stuff. They need to find a way to just let him play,” Taylor Hall, Bedard’s left wing and another No. 1-overall draftee, told reporters in Toronto Sunday.
“But I think he understands his role as a major ambassador for the game of hockey, and he’s handling it so well. He doesn’t seem to be fazed by it. It can be a little much for him at times. He doesn’t say that, but it feels like it at times.”
Jeremy Roenick agrees.
The former Blackhawks star (and former national analyst) criticized the media for piling on the hype: “Why you putting some kind of pressure like that on the kid? Just let him have some fun. Let him grow into the game. Let him be himself and enjoy every game. The attention on this kid is crazy.”
Smartly, the Blackhawks will skip morning skate Monday at Scotiabank Arena, where the evil media will be out in full force. Bedard is getting leaned upon to speak publicly before, during and after games.
Those intermission interviews, in particular, take a toll, Hall believes.
“Yeah, of course. You have 18 minutes to collect your breath and think about adjustments and most importantly talk with your teammates about adjustments that you want to make,” Hall said.
“And if you’re spending four or five minutes of that doing interviews, it’s hard. But like I said, he’s handling it well. He understands he has a role to play in all this.”
Maple Leafs rookie Fraser Minten, 19, is close friends with Bedard, as the two forwards played minor hockey together in Vancouver.
Bedard texted Minten congratulations when the latter surprised and made the Leafs out of training camp; Minten, a hockey nut himself, has been watching Bedard’s early games.
“He loves hockey so much. He understands that the media and stuff comes with it. It’s part of part of his job, part of what he has to do to get to play hockey at this level,” Minten says.
“He was 13 when he started being pronounced as a phenom already, so he’s been doing it for years. He’s used to it now. He’s got a good handle on it.”
John Tavares — yep, another No. 1–overall pick — has trained on the same sheet as Bedard a couple times in the off-season. Tavares has seen how Bedard behaves in the spotlight and has identified a Crosby-like calmness.
“You can see what makes him a very special player. Being around him and seeing him speak, I think the way he carries himself is extremely, extremely impressive. Reminds me a lot of Sid,” Tavares says.
“So, it’s not surprising how he is able to just lock in, to play well and look pretty good.”
The nature of Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe’s job demands he focus on professional opponents. He was aware of the hysteria that surrounds Bedard and how lethal his shot could be, but the coach’s pre-scout has revealed a playmaker who drives offence even if he’s not pulling trigger.
“His game is far more dynamic and complete offensively than I had thought,” said Keefe, whose Leafs are surrendering 4.5 goals per game. “Clearly there is a lot there to be focused on and concerned about going into the game.”
Rare that Bedard, who dumped a silly-good 143 points on the WHL last winter, steps onto the ice as — what? — the third or fourth or fifth hottest player in the contest.
Toronto’s William Nylander and Morgan Rielly have been flying out of the gates, and the Leafs will dress six skaters Monday with as many or more points as Bedard.
Double-Hatty Matty leads the charge.
Matthews damn near invented the drag-and-pull shot release, adopted by Bedard, that tweaks puck angles and flummoxes goaltenders.
“He’s someone I feel pioneered this certain shot. He’s got six in two, so he’s doing something right,” Bedard said. “For me, ever since he came into the league, he’s someone I’ve loved to watch. I looked up to just how he plays the game.
“His shot is something everyone knows about, but just his complete game and how he is in his own end and all around the ice is special. Because he gets so many goals and is so good in the offensive zone, I think that gets overlooked. Unreal player. One of the best in the league. Obviously excited to go against him.”
The high-octane Maple Leafs, too, are excited for a chance to keep the wins rolling and try to shut down the phenom.
So, knowing how familiar Minten is with Bedard’s game, did Keefe pick Minten’s brain for advice on how to stifle Chicago’s hope?
The coach flashes a wry smile: “I would say there’s no lack of coverage for us to get some information there.”
One-Timers: Hall (shoulder) returned to practice Sunday and will make his return to the lineup on Bedard’s wing. Hall, a former Bruin, did not take exception to the injurious Brandon Carlo dealt him in Boston on Wednesday. “I wouldn’t say I’m 110 per cent, but definitely good enough to play. Much better than I was two days ago,” Hall said. He spoke to Carlo briefly postgame. “It was a fast play. I put myself in a vulnerable spot.”… Keefe dropped Max Domi to the third line and promoted Calle Järnkrok up with Tavares and Nylander for the third period of Saturday’s win over Minnesota. He’s sticking with the switch, betting Domi can boost the offence of Minten’s unit and Järnkrok can bring more defensive responsibility to the top six… Toronto’s Joseph Woll makes his season debut between the pipes.
Maple Leafs projected line Monday vs. Chicago
Bertuzzi – Matthews – Marner
Järnkrok – Tavares – Nylander
Knies – Minten – Domi
Noah Gregor – David Kämpf – Ryan Reaves
Rielly – Brodie
McCabe – Klingberg
Giordano – Liljegren
Woll starts
Samsonov
