Excitement for the 43rd National Sports Collectors Convention kicked into high gear on Wednesday night, June 28. Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville was the setting as the annual NHL Draft was broadcast live on ESPN.
The Chicago Blackhawks — an Original 6 club that struggled this past season with a 26–49–7 record — held the first pick and seemingly everyone in North America knew what the Blackhawks were going to do, what they needed to do and what every National Anthem-screaming Chicago fan wanted them to do.
Sure enough, Chicago picked Connor Bedard with the first overall pick. Chicago collectors and the whole city for that matter threw their sticks in the air to celebrate.
Bedard, a 17-year-old center who skated for Regina in the WHL this past season, already has been tagged a generational talent. The right-handed-shooting Bedard scored 71 goals and 143 points for the Regina Pats this past season.
“He’s definitely going
