Connor Bedard, Eddie Olczyk forever linked with phenom's first goal
Connor Bedard, Eddie Olczyk forever linked with phenom's first goal originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard didn’t wait long to score his first career goal in the NHL, and it will forever link him with another famed Blackhawks forward.
Bedard, at 18 years and 86 days old, is now the third-youngest Blackhawks player to score in the NHL, putting home a wraparound goal in the first period of Wednesday’s contest against the Boston Bruins.
Grant Mulvey is the youngest Blackhawks player to ever score in the league, doing so at 18 years and 32 days old on Oct. 19, 1974 against the St. Louis Blues.
It’s another Blackhawks’ first goal that we’ll focus on here.
Eddie Olczyk, a first-round pick of the Blackhawks who also made his name as an iconic broadcaster for the team, scored his first career goal at 18 years and 56 days of age in his rookie season.
The date he achieved that feat? Oct. 11, 1984, 39 years to the date of Bedard’s first tally.
In another bit of symmetry, Olczyk was on the call for Bedard’s goal, as he works as color commentator on TNT’s broadcast.
Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux also scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 11, 1984, in a game in Boston against the Bruins, according to NHL.com.
For those curious, the youngest player in NHL history to score a goal was Bep Guidolin, who did so for the Boston Bruins at the age of 16 years and 350 days. His opponent on that night in Nov. 1942? The Chicago Blackhawks.
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