Luck of the Draw for the Blackhawks already Paying Dividends

After just two games the signs are clear; Connor Bedard ending up in Chicago is great for.... well, everyone. Lean in to a Maple-Leafesque villian role? Sure, why not. Be a team watched by young fans around the world that are cheering on a young player wearing a Blackhawks jersey? Yep, lean into that too. How about being ridiculed by pundits far and wide for too much coverage? Heck yea, it just means they are also watching right?

Any way you slice it, the Blackhawks are now front and center from a world wide hockey perspective. With 2 points in 2 games and the ability to get off chances (11 shots on goals so far) it's clear, even in a small sample size, that Connor Bedard is going to be a special player at the highest level. More than that though, it appears very evident that he is going to attract new fans to the sport we all love so much.

ESPN reported that the opener against the Penguins was their most watched regular season hockey game.... ever (you can visit them at www.espn.com). So a team that finsihed as the 3rd worse team in the NHL last season is now all of a sudden "thee" marque team in terms of viewership. Well that does bode well for Chicago, the league, and the media. It was lucky though... luck of the draw to get the right ping pong balls in order with just an 11.5% chance to do so.

Then there is the timing. The Blackhawks not only won the lottery for the first time in 16 seasons, but did so in a year where there was a clear #1 player that would make an immediate impact. It's never guaranteed after all, the Oilers only have 2 / 4 of their #1 picks on the roster, Shane Wright slid to 4th and is back in the AHL, Slafkovsky is still finding his way a year into his selection, and Alexis Lafreniere has 44 points in 216 games as a bottom 6 forward.

To say it was a good year to have your odds come forth is an understatement. The selection of Bedard now cascades into merchandise sales, ticket prices, TV packages, and global brand opportunities that weren't there for Jaime Faulkner (President, Business Operations for the Chicago Blackhawks) just a season ago.

To summarize; Connor Bedard landing in Chicago is a boon to the city, the NHL, and to growing the game of hockey on a global scale.... and it all happened due to the luck of the drawing of some ping pong balls.