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Legendary Blackhawks' Reporter Pat Foley Hates on 1st Round Pick Connor Bedard

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Joshua Deeds
December 11, 2024 (10:11 PM)

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Pat Foley, considered by Chicago Blackhawks fans the voice of the team will announce the Winter Classic. Foley shared his thoughts on Bedard that were hateful.

While Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks will battle their rival St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field at the Winter Classic, the game will be called by Pat Foley. A win for Blackhawks fans who consider him the voice of the team.

Yet his comments on 1st overall pick Connor Bedard show somewhat of a disdain for the rookie who is still developing at the NHL level.

Foley stepped away from calling Blackhawks games, and the team would hire Chris Vosters to call games and see us through Bedard's first season. Bedard would win the Calder Trophy and post 61 points in 68 games.

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But none of this has phased Foley, who didn't think so highly of the Blackhawks top draft asset.

The Winter Classic will be the first time Foley calls one of Connor Bedard's games. Bedard was still a year away from being drafted by the Blackhawks when Foley departed the organization. It takes a lot to impress Foley, though. When asked whether he was excited to see Bedard, he gave a very Pat Foley answer.

«No, I wouldn't say that,» Foley said. «I've watched some pretty good players for a very long time. Look, I got nothing against the kid, but is it a draw? Not really. I'm excited about the event.

Though Foley has seen multiple decades of successful Blackhawks teams including the Patrick Kane dynasty, he doesn't seem to think much of Bedard.

Bedard's been a boon for the Blackhawks as season ticket sales skyrocketed when he was first drafted in Nashville.

Connor Bedard was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft in June. Since then, he has the top-selling jersey in the NHL. The 18-year-old forward will make his highly anticipated NHL debut for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS).

He's a Calder Trophy winner, and his first season on a bad Blackhawks team posted 61 points.

The Blackhawks told ESPN this week that they have nearly doubled both their full season-ticket packages and their partial season-ticket packages for the 2023-24 season. They are projecting a 10% overall increase in tickets sold for this season, including at least five sellouts.

While we respect Pat Foley's contributions to the Blackhawks organization and have seen us through the best-times, we disagree that Bedard isn't a draw.

Bedard had the top selling jersey in the NHL last season as well.

It sounds like another homer take from Foley whom the NHL has evolved past, as the Blackhawks have a new look, and a new face rather than Denis Savard, Jeremy Roenick or Patrick Kane.

Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider
Chicago Blackhawks Unveil New Plan For Struggling Forward Connor Bedard
Major Roster Decisions Made For Blackhawks After Injuries Report
Legendary Voice of Blackhawks Pat Foley Comes Out of Retirement And Returns to Chicago
POLL
DECEMBRE 11 | 135 ANSWERS
Legendary Blackhawks' Reporter Pat Foley Hates on 1st Round Pick Connor Bedard
Do you think play-by-play announcer Pat Foley is wrong about center Connor Bedard and his ability to draw cash or bodies in seats for the Chicago Blackhawks?
Yes 74 54.8 %
No 61 45.2 %
List of polls

POLL
DECEMBRE 11 \| 135 ANSWERS Legendary Blackhawks' Reporter Pat Foley Hates on 1st Round Pick Connor Bedard Do you think play-by-play announcer Pat Foley is wrong about center Connor Bedard and his ability to draw cash or bodies in seats for the Chicago Blackhawks?
Yes	74	54.8 %
No	61	45.2 %
List of polls