While the Chicago Blackhawks' young superstar is the youngest of the players born in 2005, there are three others who also made the cut and are playing in the NHL to start the season. These teenagers include Zach Benson (Buffalo Sabres), Will Smith (San Jose Sharks), and Calum Ritchie (Colorado Avalanche).

Bedard is no longer the NHL’s novelty act, an object of curiosity. He’s 19 now. He’s got 68 NHL games under his belt. He’s scored 22 goals and handed out 39 assists — trailing only Crosby and McDavid in points per game as an 18-year-old. The curiosity now turns to San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini and Philadelphia ’s Matvei Michkov.

Connor Bedard is usually one of the first players on the ice and one of the last players to leave when practice is over.

Hockey phenom Connor Bedard scored the first of what could be many goals in a long NHL career, beating goalie Linus Ullmark in the first period of a Chicago Blackhawks loss to the Boston Bruins.

The Chicago Blackhawks look like a much better team ahead of Connor Bedard's second season. The Blackhawks finished last in the Central Division in each of the previous two years.

As the 19-year-old enters Year 2 of his NHL career, his comfort level with the league and with stardom is clearly on the rise.

Light up his name on the marquee. Pepper him with questions. Heck, if the NHL rolled out the red carpet for every game, Connor Bedard would probably enjoy that, too. You have to remind yourself that the kid who many expect to eventually take over the NHL just turned 18 in July.