Blackhawks awarded first overall pick in 2023 NHL Draft Lottery

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Connor Bedard is going to the Chicago Blackhawks thanks to a big win in the NHL draft lottery that could alter the future of the storied Original Six franchise.

The Blackhawks won the lottery Monday night for the right to choose Bedard, the league's most anticipated drawing since Connor McDavid in 2015. Bedard as a generational talent has drawn comparisons to McDavid and three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time playoff MVP Sidney Crosby, whom he idolized growing up.

Chicago will try to get back to hockey's mountaintop with Bedard as the new face of the franchise, replacing departed stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews who combined to help them win the Cup three times from 2010-2015. After committing last year to a full-scale rebound, this is the Blackhawks' first lottery win since 2007 when they got Kane.

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National Hockey League Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly looks on prior to announcing the #1 overall draft position during the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery on May 08, 2023 at NHL Network Studio in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly unveiled a placard featuring the Blackhawks logo at 8:22 p.m. EDT, signifying they had gotten the No. 1 pick and setting off a wild celebration among fans at a watch party. Chicago had the third-highest odds of winning the lottery at 11.5%, behind Anaheim's 25.5% and Columbus' 13.5%.

"I think I just said, ‘Wow’ because you understand the impact that a first overall pick can have — and having a first overall pick in the right year," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said at a news conference in