Blackhawks' Connor Bedard Honors Late Grandfather with Poker Chip at NHL Draft

Connor Bedard was thinking about his grandfather, Garth, when he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick of Wednesday's NHL draft.

The Chicago Blackhawks draftee revealed he carried around a poker chip with a photograph of his grandfather, who died in a car accident in 2021 at the age of 73:

Bedard opened up about his grandfather in an interview with Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com in March and discussed how Garth's positivity and work ethic remained an inspiration as the prospect continued his hockey career.

"I don't wear anything that was his, but I'm always thinking about him," Bedard said. "I think he's definitely someone I play for now. During the Canadian (national) anthem before each game, he's someone I'm thinking about. Hopefully he's still watching. ... He loved to watch hockey. I hope I'm making him proud."

Bedard will attempt to make his grandfather proud as the next franchise cornerstone of the Blackhawks.

He is widely seen as the type of generational talent who can anchor a franchise for years to come, and there was no doubt Chicago was going to pick him from the moment it was fortunate enough to win the NHL draft lottery.