'I just want to be here and play hockey': Bedard will make Hawks debut at prospects showcase this weekend

For quite some time there's been plenty of debate in the NFL about how much starters should play in the preseason.

More and more, coaches are taking a conservative approach and using primarily backups for the majority of the three games.

It's difficult for young teams to gel that way, however - and it played out in real time at Soldier Field on Sunday when the Bears were embarrassed 38-20 by the Packers.

Then there's the NHL, where stars like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Steven Stamkos, Marc-Andre Fleury and dozens of others think nothing of lacing up their skates for three-to-four preseason games every season.

In the Blackhawks' case, they are even sending Connor Bedard - the No. 1 pick of June's draft and the future of the franchise - to play in at least one of two games in the Tom Kurvers Prospects Showcase at Saint Paul, Minnesota this weekend.

Couldn't he twist an ankle? Take a big hit? Wrench a knee?

Sure. But this is all part of the process.

"That's what will get me ready, to be honest with you," Bedard said after practice at Fifth Third Arena on Thursday. "I'm a rookie, like any other guy here.

"So I want to play a game so bad. It's been so long, so I'm really excited for that."

The difference in philosophy between the NFL and NHL is somewhat stunning, although Rockford IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen offered his thoughts, saying: "That's a hockey player's mentality. You see it in the playoffs - guys play through injuries. That's just how the players are wired."

And as for Bedard specifically?

"He wants to come in and make an impression on everybody in the whole world," Sorensen said. "I give him a lot of credit. He wants to play, so let's go."

The Hawks play St. Louis on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Minnesota on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Bedard, who at the NHL's Media Tour in Nevada and missed Wednesday's practice, looked at ease during a variety of drills.

What stood out most was his speed, poise and impressive ice awareness. Bedard made several passes that makes one realize he sees the game at a different level than most 18-year-olds.

Bedard was the youngest player invited to the annual media tour earlier this week. He sat down and chatted with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and also introduced himself to up-and-coming stars like the Canadiens' Cole Caufield and the Wild's Matt Boldy as well as veterans like the Islanders' Anders Lee and Kings center Anze Kopitar.

One has to wonder if this all doesn't feel a bit strange. After all, it's not every day you go from a 17-year-old kid to one of the faces of the NHL.

"That's a good question, actually," Bedard said. "It's a bit of both. Like when you're actually playing, you want to be good and compete. So then it's not really surreal.

"But then you go home or after practice and you're like, 'Damn. This is pretty cool.'"

Bedard caught his breath over the last few weeks by hanging out with friends and not doing anything too crazy, as he put it. It was a much-needed break after a whirlwind few months that included the NHL draft and a weeklong development camp at Fifth Third Arena.

"Super grateful for all those memories," Bedard said. "But it's tiring, of course, and you're kind of all over the place. You're pulled in a bunch of directions, so it's definitely nice to go home for a bit."

But now the season's almost here. And that's also pretty sweet.

"I just want to be here and play hockey," Bedard said. "So I'm happy to be back."