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Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard opens up on former No. 1 pick’s major impact on him
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- Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard opens up on former No. 1 pick’s major impact on him
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Connor Bedard has had plenty of voices in his ear since the Chicago Blackhawks made him the face of the franchise, but few understood his situation quite like Taylor Hall.
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Hall, the first overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010, joined the Blackhawks in a trade from the Boston Bruins in June 2023, the same summer Chicago selected Bedard with the top pick.
The two spent a season and a half together before Hall was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes in January 2025.
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Bedard recently reflected on what Hall meant to him early in his career.
"He meant a lot to me. I think we were obviously in the same sort of spot, first overall pick, a lot of spotlight on us," Bedard said. "He was in a Canadian market, so it's very similar. And he would tell me a lot and always be kind of open and honest, which is all you can ask for."
Hall has since found a home in Carolina. The 34-year-old scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal just 3:47 into Game 6 of the Final in June, helping the Hurricanes blank the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 to capture the franchise's second championship.
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"It was awesome seeing him win it last year," Bedard said. "Just to see what he's done in his career, it's crazy that he's already at 1,000. He seems young, not that he isn't young, obviously people are old when they're like 30, but he's had such an amazing career, and seeing him get to live out that dream and win the Cup was special."
Hall, who won the Hart Trophy with the New Jersey Devils in 2018, is closing in on 1,000 career regular-season games. He scored in Carolina's 5-2 win over Chicago on Saturday and has three goals and five points through six games this season.
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Bedard did not play in that game. The 21-year-old has been sidelined since undergoing left shoulder surgery in July, and he was cleared for contact over the weekend, though no return date has been set.
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His return cannot come soon enough for Chicago , which has stumbled to a 1-5-0 start. When he does get back, he will carry the same spotlight Hall once did.
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