The Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, which means they get the luxury of selected Connor Bedard with the first overall pick in late-June. Unfortunately, it sounds like the Blackhawks aren’t going to give fans a chance to watch him skate during the summer.
We’ll all have to wait for the Blackhawks to open training camp in September for Bedard to make an on-ice appearance in Chicago.
According to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCSN Chicago, the Blackhawks made the decision to only have an off-ice development camp when they have their new group of prospects — and a few from previous drafts — in Chicago soon after the 2023 NHL Draft ends. He shared some comments from assistant general manager and director of player development Mark Eaton explaining the rationale behind the decision.
“[Thinking] about development camps of the past, we want to do what’s best for our prospects, and in thinking about it, having no on-ice portion to it, we think it is the best use of that week,” Eaton told NBCSN.
“Per the CBA, we only get six of seven days with these guys in the summer and as much as we’d love to get on the ice with them, we feel that the best use of time for that week is to really focus on the other parts of their development, the physical part of their development at this stage in not just their playing careers but their lives. The physical development is where I think you can make the biggest impact.”
The Blackhawks previously announced their development camp would begin on June 30, the day after Rounds 2-7 of the draft conclude.
You can read more from Eaton here: