Connor Bedard had been warned. Luke Richardson, his coach, had warned him about the atmosphere that would likely prevail at the Bell Center for the Canadian’s opening game. What he didn’t expect, however, was receiving a hail of boos every time he touched the puck.
Photo Martin Chevalier
“I loved it. It was fantastic,” said the Blackhawks’ young star.
Let’s assume that Canadiens fans had more than their chance to make their presence felt with the 18-year-old athlete. Bedard was on the ice for 23:02 minutes and fired 12 shots toward Samuel Montembeault’s net.
“I haven’t achieved anything (in the NHL) yet, but I think it’s a good sign,” he added. When the audience gets excited, the game becomes even more fun. »
While some found it inappropriate that such a fate was reserved for the very first pick of the last draft, Richardson, who held the position of assistant behind the Habs’ bench for four seasons, didn’t make too much of it.
“It’s one of the most hockey-savvy crowds in the world. Spectators do this to help their team. “It’s part of the game. I’m sure he enjoyed it,” he argued. I also believe they promoted him at the Junior World Championships last year. »
Bedard responded at the very end of the game by being an accomplice in Tyler Johnson’s second goal. At the same time, he became the third Blackhawks player in the last 31 seasons to score a point in each of his first three games. Jan Ruutta (three games 2017-2018) was the last. Jonathan Toews is the other. In 2007-2008, this winning streak spanned 10 games.
Warm welcome to Perry
For his part, Corey Perry could see that the Canadian’s fans had not forgotten his time with the Canadian, even if it was brief. At the end of the warm-up period, he threw a puck into the opponent’s net (the Habs’) as usual. While this gesture would normally have provoked dissatisfaction from the crowd, this time they applauded him vigorously.
The reaction was the same when Michel Lacroix announced his presence in the Hawks’ starting lineup.
“It was a pleasant moment. We had a good run when I was here. It was exciting, recalled Perry, who wore the Canadian uniform during the 2020-2021 season. Unfortunately due to the circumstances (COVID) we couldn’t play in front of fans. »
“Despite everything, I will never forget that I played for the team I loved as a child and that I reached the Stanley Cup Final with them,” the Ontarian added before heading in caused the rain shower.