Blackhawks' Connor Bedard anxious for NHL debut: ‘I'm so excited'

Connor Bedard said his main goal going into his first training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks was to make the team. To absolutely no one's surprise, he did.

Now, Bedard can officially turn his attention to Tuesday night, where he will make his anticipated NHL debut. He might be antsier than the entire city of Chicago.

"Yesterday I woke up and it was a long day waiting for everything here," Bedard said after Monday's practice. "I'm so excited. It's hard to think about and realize it's true, but it's really exciting."

Bedard will take on his childhood idol Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and I imagine the two of them will line up against each other for the opening faceoff. It's something Bedard has probably dreamed about all summer.

"Growing up, he was obviously my favorite player," Bedard said. "Getting that opportunity to start off is pretty sweet."

Bedard has a very calm demeanor, but he's human too, and the butterflies will ramp up as puck drop gets closer. And then, it's focus mode.

"I'm sure I will, yeah," Bedard said. "It's a big moment. In the end, for me, it's taking the anthem and their player announcement, their warmup and having that be the 'Oh my God' moment. Once the game starts, you focus on the game and not be starstruck as much. That first bit is going to be pretty crazy."

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