Bedard bags assist, win in ‘awesome’ NHL debut
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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
PITTSBURGH — Connor Bedard did everything but score a goal in his NHL debut.
And the Chicago Blackhawks rookie still stole the show.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft made his much-heralded premiere Tuesday night and lived up to the billing while notching his first NHL point in Chicago’s 4-2 win over Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
If the game outcome was surprising — the draft lottery-winning Blackhawks used four different scorers to come back from a 2-0 deficit and top the veteran Penguins — Bedard’s smooth transition to the NHL was not. He was in the spotlight right away as the opening faceoff pitted Chicago’s 18-year-old phenom against his childhood idol in Crosby, the three-time Stanley Cup champion.
It was a quintessential welcome-to-the-NHL-kid moment. The result, however, did not favor Bedard.
“[I was] just trying to win it, and I failed miserably,” he said after the game. “But it was pretty cool. He’s a childhood hero of mine, like I’ve mentioned. It was a lot of fun.”
Bedard didn’t let the early loss affect his confidence. His on-ice performance already displays what has put him firmly in the generational talent category, and he finished the night with 21:29 ice time (leading all forwards), 5 shots on goal, 11 shot attempts (the second most in an NHL debut since 2009-10) and 1 assist.
He became the youngest player to earn a point in a season opener since Aleksander Barkov in 2013, and the second-youngest player in Blackhawks history (after Eddie Olczyk in 1984) to secure a debut point.
The only place Bedard underachieved was at the faceoff dot, where he went just 2-for-13. That won’t diminish his first experience as an NHL player though, something that, despite months of hype leading up to it, went by too quickly, he noted.
“It’s a moment you think of all your life,” he said. “And now it’s already done. That part is kind of sad.”
Fortunately for Bedard, the memories can last a lifetime.
His pedigree didn’t preclude him from being immersed in all the usual NHL rookie traditions — or guard against an apparently nervous pregame moment. Before the Blackhawks went out for warmups, Bedard was caught looking frantically around for his missing stick — having seemingly forgotten to grab one — before finally locating one on the equipment rack.
Turns out Bedard’s usual superstition had just been interrupted. Normally he would leave a stick along the wall, blade not touching the ground. But he couldn’t find the one he’d prepped, thus the search for another.
Once he went down the tunnel, it was Bedard and fellow freshman Kevin Korchinski alone taking the ice for a minute of solo laps before their teammates joined. Neither player wore a helmet — which are mandatory in warmups for players who entered the league after the 2019-20 season — but Korchinski said it was other Blackhawks who encouraged the decision, insisting “you only get one rookie lap.”
And if anyone could relate to what Bedard was going through Tuesday, it was Korchinski. Bedard might have been hard on himself for not excelling in every aspect of the game on night one, but Korchinski would encourage him to give himself some grace.
“Just like the rest of us, he’s got stuff he’s going to learn from and work on,” Korchinski said. “That’s the scary thing is he’s still learning. He’s only 18. He’s only going to get better.”
Bedard seemingly had the same idea and made the most of his ample ice time throughout the game, both at 5-on-5 and with the man advantage. He was a fixture on the Blackhawks’ first power-play unit and during their initial attempt helped Chicago hold the zone for more than 90 seconds with a pair of nice keep-ins and a whistling one-timer that didn’t make it past Pittsburgh netminder Tristan Jarry.
While Bedard was a clear focal point for the Blackhawks (and, frankly, the Penguins), he wasn’t the only one deserving of attention. Chicago used a collective effort to move past Pittsburgh after falling into a 2-0 hole in the second period off goals from Bryan Rust and Crosby. Bedard was on the ice when Crosby scored, and it might have inspired him to get on the scoresheet as well.
Moments after Crosby’s tally, Bedard, who had been buzzing around the net generating his own chances already, picked up his assist on linemate Ryan Donato‘s score that cut the Pittsburgh lead to 2-1 heading into the third period. Bedard earned his helper, though, with a strong zone entry to set up a prolonged sequence in Pittsburgh’s end that allowed Chicago to wear down the Penguins.
Bedard never has had trouble finding the back of a net before. He collected 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games with the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats last season, an encore to the 100-point campaign he produced the year prior. It might be just a matter of time before he’s collecting NHL tallies. Taking down the Penguins, though, required Chicago’s depth to carry them through.
Once Donato opened the floodgates, Chicago poured it on with a goal from Cole Guttman to tie the game at 2, followed by Jason Dickinson‘s game-winner late in the third period. Nick Foligno added the insurance empty-netter from there. And Petr Mrazek‘s exceptional 38-save showing gave the Blackhawks every chance to rally back.
“It just shows our mindset,” Bedard said of Chicago’s effort. “We’ve seen that a lot throughout camp. Guys want to win so badly.”
And it was the victory Bedard relished most about his debut. The entire game felt like the start of a promising new chapter for Chicago hockey — which, in every respect, it was.
“Coming back like we did, it’s awesome for our group,” Bedard said. “I think you remember [the night] with a little better taste in your mouth when you win.”
Penn State has fired coach James Franklin after 12 seasons, the school announced Sunday.
Franklin is owed more than $49 million, according to his contract. It’s the second-biggest buyout in college football history behind only Jimbo Fisher’s $76 million buyout from Texas A&M.
Associate head coach Terry Smith will serve as the Nittany Lions’ interim head coach for the remainder of the season, the school said.
Less than a year removed from an appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Franklin’s program appeared to hit a new low when the Nittany Lions traveled out to Los Angeles two weeks ago only to lose to UCLA, a team that not only was winless but hadn’t previously held a lead all season.
The woes flew back home with the team to Penn State, and with them came “Fire Franklin!” chants at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The Nittany Lions dropped their second straight home game, and third overall, when they fell to Northwestern 22-21 in front of a stunned crowd at Happy Valley.
With the two losses, Penn State became the first team since the FBS and FCS split in 1978 to lose consecutive games while favored by 20 or more points in each game, according to ESPN Research.
In Saturday’s defeat to the Wildcats, the Nittany Lions committed six penalties for 71 yards in the first half alone. They simply could never get out of their own way, and that was before quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury in the fourth quarter.
Earlier in the season, when the losing streak began against Oregon at Happy Valley, Franklin fell to 4-21 at Penn State against AP top-10 opponents, including 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams.
Franklin’s .160 winning percentage against AP top-10 teams is tied for the third-worst record by a coach (minimum 25 games) at a single school since the poll era began in 1936, according to ESPN Research.
Hired in 2014 in the wake of Bill O’Brien’s departure for the NFL, Franklin inherited a team still feeling the effects of unprecedented NCAA sanctions in the wake of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual-abuse crimes.
Armed with relentless optimism and an ability to recruit, Franklin’s program regularly churned out NFL-level talent, from Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley to Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons. Franklin guided the Nittany Lions to the 2016 Big Ten title and a seemingly permanent spot in the rankings.
There was hope this fall might be the season when Penn State would finally break through and win its third national championship and first since 1986. Yet after three easy wins during a light nonconference schedule, the Nittany Lions crumbled.
Athletic director Pat Kraft said the school owes Franklin an “enormous amount of gratitude” for leading the Nittany Lions back to relevance but felt it was time to make a change.
“We hold our athletics programs to the highest of standards, and we believe this is the right moment for new leadership at the helm of our football program to advance us toward Big Ten and national championships,” Kraft said.
The move will cost Penn State at a time the athletic department has committed to a $700 million renovation to Beaver Stadium. The project is expected to be completed by 2027.
Former athletic director Sandy Barbour signed Franklin to a 10-year contract extension worth up to $85 million in 2021. According to terms of the deal, Penn State will have to pay Franklin’s base salary of $500,000, supplemental pay of $6.5 million and an insurance loan of $1 million until 2031.
It’s a steep price, but one the university appears willing to pay to find a coach who can complete the climb to a national title.
“We have the best college football fans in America, a rich tradition of excellence, significant investments in our program, compete in the best conference in college sports and have a state-of-the-art renovated stadium on the horizon,” Kraft said. “I am confident in our future and in our ability to attract elite candidates to lead our program.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Oregon State has fired coach Trent Bray in the wake of an 0-7 start, the school announced Sunday.
It is the worst start for the Beavers since 1991, when they started 0-10.
“I want to thank Coach Bray for the energy and determination he brought to the role,” athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. “… This was a difficult decision, but the results on the field were not acceptable and after evaluating every aspect of the football program, I believe it is in the best interests of OSU football student-athletes, our fans and our university.”
Bray, an Oregon State alum who got promoted to the head coaching job after Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State following the 2023 season, finishes with a 5-14 record after taking over in 2024.
Robb Akey, who was in his first year as special assistant to the head coach, has been named interim coach for the remainder of the season. He was the defensive coordinator at Central Michigan from 2019 to 2024.
Bray is expected to be owed a little more than $4 million in buyout money, as he was in the second year of a five-year contract. The school said the buyout will come from donor-generated funds.
The move comes after a difficult start for the Beavers, which included heartbreaking losses at home to Houston and on the road at Appalachian State. Wake Forest handily won in Corvallis on Saturday, 39-14, with a backup quarterback starting for the Demon Deacons.
“I’m frustrated. I’m disappointed. I look at myself, and I’ve got to fix it,” Bray said after Saturday’s game. “It’s unacceptable to me where we’re at. That’s just how I look at it. What can I do? I’ve got to look at it. What can I do different to get these guys going?”
Special teams coordinator Jamie Christian was fired following the loss to Appalachian State.
The move comes amid a time of financial uncertainty in college athletics, as Oregon State is set to be part of the refurbished Pac-12 in 2026. Oregon State is adjusting to significantly lower television payouts.
Oregon State made three straight bowl games under Smith prior to his departure, and Bray was a linchpin of that rebuild. Oregon State was ranked as high as No. 10 in the country in 2023.
Bray is a former All-Pac-12 player at Oregon State, an honor he earned in 2005.
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