Blackhawks Win No. 1 Pick in 2023 Draft Lottery, Eye Bedard

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery on Monday, earning the No. 1 overall selection in a lottery where they held just the third-best odds at 11.5%. The dramatic draw assigned the Blackhawks the numbers 4-5-9-13 in the first round, clinching the top spot ahead of the Anaheim Ducks, who fell to No. 2 with 18.5% odds and are expected to take University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli. Columbus Blue Jackets hold the No. 3 pick.

The prize: Regina Pats center Connor Bedard, the 17-year-old phenom widely hailed as the draft's top talent and a potential NHL superstar. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson called it a 'transformative moment' for the franchise, which hasn't picked first since selecting Patrick Kane in 2007 — a pick that sparked three Stanley Cups. Bedard, with 143 points in 57 WHL games this season, could anchor Chicago's rebuild alongside recent additions like Philipp Kurashev and Seth Jones.

Illinois hockey faithful packed watch parties from Rockford to the United Center, where celebrations spilled into Madison Street. The draft unfolds June 28-29 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, with the first round televised nationally. For a Blackhawks team that finished last in the Central Division, this lottery triumph offers a beacon amid a 28-win season, fueling optimism from Peoria rinks to Lake Michigan shores.