3 outrageous predictions for the new Connor Bedard-Macklin Celebrini rivalry

Well, on Thursday night we replaced the term ‘one day’ with ‘Day 1,’ or maybe ‘Game 1’ is more appropriate. Yep, the Connor Bedard-Macklin Celebrini rivalry saw its first act that ended in the San Jose Sharks favor. But fear not, Blackhawks fans, as Bedard will get plenty of wins against his new nemesis out in Northern California. 

Anyway, this rivalry has a chance to be special, as it features a pair of generational talents who were drafted No. 1 overall in back-to-back seasons. That alone should pump up not only the Blackhawks and Sharks fanbases but everyone following the NHL. 

Plus, for fans just now getting into the game and looking for some younger players to follow for an entire career, is there anyone better than Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini? At this point, it’s a no. And again, I’m talking about young players whose respective careers have just gotten off the ground. 

Yeah, there are others, like Matvei Michkov for the Philadelphia Flyers, but they don’t hold the same weight as those drafted No. 1 overall. Especially if those picks are generational talents. That leaves Bedard and Celebrini, so let’s make some outrageous predictions on what this rivalry will entail. 

1 - Bedard-Celebrini will mirror the Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry

Oh yes, we got the first-overall pick in 2023 going up against the top pick in 2024, much like the first pick in 2004 has had multiple meetings with the top pick in 2005. Both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are legends and future Hall of Famers, but I’m not getting that bold in these predictions just yet. 

Sure, the sky's the limit for both Bedard and Celebrini but for now, what I’m getting at is that both players will evolve into the undisputed stars for their respective teams and remain with them for (at least) most of their careers. 

Bedard may not be putting up superstar numbers yet, but if you give him more talent to work with, that day’s coming. As for Celebrini, he’s in a similar situation, but I also won’t be surprised when he starts averaging over a point per game far sooner than anticipated. 

At that point, you’ll see the pair become faces of the league and it’s one reason why we’ll be looking back on this first meeting and laughing when the Hawks and Sharks were about as irrelevant as they could get. 

2 - Both players will win three Stanley Cups for their respective teams

Sidney Crosby accomplished this one, winning the Cup for Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016, and 2017, while Alex Ovechkin won it all in 2018. While there’s a good chance Ovechkin adds to those totals, I’m looking for Bedard and Celebrini to each take three Cups throughout their time in the NHL. 

For one, they’ll be faces of the league as I mentioned earlier, and that means the duo will be drawing big-time free agents to Chicago and San Jose. No, these won’t be teams built to win through free agency; they’ll have plenty of players on those cores that are already brewing. 

But that’s the magic of a winning formula in the NHL, and why some rebuilding teams succeed and others don’t. Often, it begins with an undisputed star player and one strong supporting act - perhaps Frank Nazar for Bedard and Will Smith for Celebrini. 

Throw in a good half-dozen players to comprise that core, and if you follow the Hawks, you can already see the wheels in motion here, then add those free agents looking to play for a team in a position to advance, and boom, you have a pair of winning franchises.

Now, this is the slow burn, as I don’t see the Hawks nor Sharks transforming into serious playoff contenders until 2026-27. Those cores need time to grow, as do those right-hand men. But once they’re ready to roll, oh, the Sharks and Hawks will give us quite a few memorable playoff series.

3 - This rivalry will continue until at least 2050

No, that’s not a typo. Hey, in 2050, Celebrini and Bedard will be 44 and 45, respectively, and we’re seeing more and more pro athletes stick around much longer than they have in the past. Plus, pro hockey’s had quite a list of players stick around well into their 40s, so why not make this prediction?

With even more technological advancements for athletes that are sure to come over the next 25 seasons, what, at that point, isn’t to say it won’t be normal for big-time players to add another five or 10 seasons to their careers? You know it’s coming, so while this may be an ‘outrageous’ prediction, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if these two were still taking the ice. 

And I know, I know, many of us don’t even want to think about 2050, but why not put a positive ring on it? If I can be 59 years old at that point and still work out the way I do now, I for one, am looking forward to it. 

But do you know what I’ll also be looking forward to? Bedard and Celebrini clashing, breaking records, and looking to hoist the Stanley Cup at least one more time, getting the best of the NHL’s other 44-plus teams. And no, that’s not a typo, either.