From Crosby to McDavid: Bedard's head-to-head battles with former first overall picks

Chicago Blackhawks captain and former first overall pick Connor Bedard is trending toward making his 2026-27 season debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, Oct. 13. This contest will mark his sixth meeting with Sidney Crosby, the top pick from the 2005 Draft. If anyone forgot, the two met in Bedard’s first NHL game on Oct. 10, 2023, when the Blackhawks won 4-2. More interestingly, over five meetings, Crosby is 3-2-0 against Chicago during the Bedard era, with both former first overall picks tied with four points apiece. Sidney has four goals, while Connor has a goal and three assists. 

Considering how special meetings are between top picks, Tuesday night’s game got us thinking: how has Bedard fared against other first overall picks?

Bedard v. Matthew Schaefer (2025)

Bedard: 1 GP 0-0-0 Minus-1

Schaefer: 1 GP 0-1-1 Plus-2

Last year, Matthew Schaefer won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, the same honor Bedard won in 2023. These two stars have met only once so far: the New York Islanders picked up a 4-3 win in March 2026, and Schaefer got an assist on the game’s first goal.

Bedard v. Macklin Celebrini (2024)

Bedard: 4 GP 1-3-4 Even

Celebrini: 4 GP 1-3-4 Minus-2

For two decades, the Eastern Conference had Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin. Today, the Western Conference has Bedard versus Macklin Celebrini, two of the game’s youngest and brightest stars. In four meetings, the Sharks and Blackhawks split the games 2-2, with each former first overall pick scoring a goal and recording three assists. 

Bedard v. Juraj Slafkovsky (2022)

Bedard: 5 GP 1-4-5 Even

Slafkovsky: 5 GP 2-1-3 Plus-2

After years of building through the draft like the Blackhawks, the Montreal Canadiens turned a page and marched to the Conference Final last year. In five meetings, Bedard has outscored Montreal’s top pick, Juraj Slafkovsky, by two points, but the 2022 top pick has an advantage in wins, 3-1-1.

Bedard v. Owen Power (2021)

Bedard: 5 GP 0-4-4 Minus-4

Power: 5 GP 0-2-2 Plus-7

Owen Power is one of the few first-overall picks that Bedard has yet to beat, since the Blackhawks are 0-5-0 against the Buffalo Sabres in his career. As a defenseman, Power hasn’t outscored Bedard in their meetings, with the Chicago forward up two points in five games. 

Bedard v. Alexis Lafreniere (2020)

Bedard: 5 GP 1-3-4 Minus-1

Lafreniere: 5 GP 1-2-3 Plus-3

Alexis Lafreniere is one of the few Original Six first-overall rivals for Bedard and the Blackhawks. In five meetings, these two are close in most statistical categories, except in plus/minus. Unfortunately, Lafreniere hasn’t developed into a top star many projected, which is why Bedard has a slight edge in scoring. 

Bedard v. Jack Hughes (2019)

Bedard: 4 GP 1-1-2 Minus-3

Hughes: 4 GP 3-4-7 Plus-6

Jack Hughes is the second of New Jersey's two former first-overall picks on this list, and he’s enjoying playing against Bedard and the Blackhawks. The 2019 top pick has seven points in four games, with a plus-6 rating, nine points ahead of his 2023 top-pick counterpart in that category. Meanwhile, Bedard has never beaten the Devils. 

Bedard v. Rasmus Dahlin (2018)

Bedard: 5 GP 0-4-4 Minus-4

Dahlin: 5 GP 1-8-9 Plus-9

As mentioned, Bedard has yet to beat the Sabres and their top-pick defenseman, Rasmus Dahlin. In five meetings, Dahlin is the highest-scoring first-overall defenseman Connor has faced, with nine points in five games. 

Bedard v. Nico Hischier (2017)

Bedard: 5 GP 1-1-2 Minus-3

Hischier: 5 GP 1-5-6 Plus-4

Nico Hischier is the Devils' captain and, alongside Hughes, has never lost to the Blackhawks during the Bedard era. He’s produced more than a point per game against Chicago in the past three seasons. 

Bedard v. Auston Matthews (2016)

Bedard: 4 GP 0-1-1 Minus-6

Matthews: 4 GP 1-1-2 Minus-1

Surprisingly, Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled against Bedard and the Blackhawks. In four meetings between former first overall picks, Bedard is 2-1-1, and Matthews has only one goal. These two Original Six clubs don’t meet often, but they always give fans entertaining clashes. 

Bedard v. Connor McDavid (2015)

Bedard: 6 GP 2-5-7 Plus-1

McDavid: 6 GP 0-8-8 Minus-4

Despite scoring 1,233 points through 12 NHL seasons, Connor McDavid has never scored against the Blackhawks with Bedard in the lineup. Although the Edmonton Oilers are 5-1 against Chicago in their meetings, the younger Connor has two goals and is only one point shy of tying the game’s best player.

Bedard v. Aaron Ekblad (2014)

Bedard: 4 GP 0-0-0 Minus-4

Ekblad: 4 GP 0-2-2 Plus-6

The Blackhawks don’t often play the Florida Panthers, so Aaron Ekblad hasn’t had many chances to hit Bedard on the rush. Ekblad, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, has two assists in their four meetings, the only points in their rivalry. 

Bedard v. Nathan MacKinnon (2013)

Bedard: 11 GP 2-4-6 Minus-7

MacKinnon: 11 GP 5-12-17 Plus-7

It is no surprise to see that Nathan MacKinnon leads all first-overall picks in points against Bedard and the Blackhawks, since the Colorado Avalanche are routinely the top team in the Central Division. In 11 meetings, the most Bedard has had against any other former first-overall pick, the reigning Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner has 17 points thanks to 12 assists. Moreover, Colorado are 8-3 against Bedard in the past three years. 

Bedard v. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011)

Bedard: 6 GP 2-5-7 Plus-1

Nugent-Hopkins: 6 GP 1-2-3 Minus-3

Although he’s on the same team as McDavid, Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t matched the success of many other first-overall picks against Bedard. Right now, the Chicago captain leads the matchup against the 2011 top pick, one of the few skaters he’s had an advantage over. 

Bedard v. Taylor Hall (2010)

Bedard: 2 GP 0-0-0 Minus-5

Hall: 2 GP 1-2-3 Plus-1

Taylor Hall is one of two players on this list who have teamed with Bedard at some point in his career, which explains why they have met as opponents twice. However, in those contests, Hall has three points while Bedard has zero. Last year, after 16 years, Hall won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Bedard v. John Tavares (2009)

Bedard: 5 GP 0-1-1 Minus-6

Tavares: 5 GP 2-2-4 Plus-2

Since Bedard entered the NHL, John Tavares has been with the Maple Leafs, skating alongside Matthews. As mentioned, the Blackhawks lead 3-2 in meetings between the three former first overall picks, with Tavares scoring two goals and collecting four points, while Bedard has one assist. 

Bedard v. Steven Stamkos (2008)

Bedard: 10 GP 7-6-13 Plus-5

Stamkos: 10 GP 8-2-10 Plus-3

For 16 seasons, Steven Stamkos played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but for the past three, he’s been a thorn in Bedard's and the Blackhawks' side with the Nashville Predators. Because of their division rivalry, Stamkos has climbed the games-played list and is one of the few former top picks who trail Bedard in scoring, 13-10, when they meet. 

Bedard v. Patrick Kane (2007)

Bedard: 4 GP 1-4-5 Minus-1

Kane: 4 GP 1-4-5 Plus-4

Once rivals and now teammates, Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane returned to the Windy City this offseason, and it’s only fitting that the franchise’s last two first-overall picks had identical statistics in their previous encounters. In an alternate universe, Kane never left the Blackhawks in early 2023 and played with Bedard his entire career, but now they are together, and Chicago faithful are waiting to see what kind of magic they create. 

Bedard v. Erik Johnson (2006)

Bedard: 4 GP 0-3-3 Minus-3

Johnson: 4 GP 1-0-1 Minus-3

As of October 2026, Erik Johnson is the only former first-overall skater Bedard has faced who is retired. In their four meetings, Connor had three assists, while Johnson had a goal, helping his teams to a 3-1 record against the Blackhawks. Erik would help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022. 

Bedard v. Sidney Crosby (2005)

Bedard: 5 GP 1-3-4 Minus-5

Crosby: 5 GP 4-0-4 Minus-2

Bedard and Crosby will forever be linked, as the 2023 top pick took his first NHL faceoff against the 2005 top pick. Moreover, the Penguins and Blackhawks will always share history, having met in the 1992 Stanley Cup Final, when the 1984 first overall pick, Mario Lemieux, won his second consecutive championship. Hopefully, either Bedard or Crosby gets a point or two in their two meetings this season to break their tie before Sidney potentially hangs 'em up.

Bedard v. Alex Ovechkin (2004)

Bedard: 4 GP 0-2-2 Minus-2

Ovechkin: 4 GP 3-2-5 Plus-2

As expected, the game’s all-time leading goal scorer has three goals against Bedard and the Blackhawks in the past three seasons. Overall, the Great 8 has five points against Connor, and the Washington Capitals remain undefeated with a perfect 4-0 record. Considering this is Ovechkin’s final season, their two meetings in March 2027 will be pretty special. 

Bedard v. Marc-Andre Fleury (2003)

Bedard: 2 GP 0-2-2 Minus-1

Marc-Andre Fleury is the last goalie selected first overall in 2003. After a lengthy run with the Penguins alongside Crosby, he went to Vegas and then played 45 games in Chicago in 2021-22, missing out on skating with Bedard. However, in two meetings, Connor had two assists against the future Hall of Famer, who has the second-most wins in NHL history. 

All statistics were compiled using Stathead by Hockey-Reference.com.

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