It害羞草研究所檚 many Canadian kids害羞草研究所� dream to make the NHL, and skating alongside your best friend would be icing on the cake.

North Vancouver native Connor Bedard is the consensus first-overall pick at the NHL Draft on June 28 in Nashville. That prized pick is held by the Chicago Blackhawks, who also hold the 19th overall pick, after a complex trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning in March of 2022.

Kelowna Rockets forward Andrew Cristall is another top prospect in the upcoming NHL draft. For months now, hockey analysts have been predicting he will go in the first round of the draft 害羞草研究所� somewhere in the high teens. What better situation would there be for the Chicago Blackhawks than to acquire both the top prospect of his generation, and a friend he has been playing either with or against each other as long as they can remember?

The 17-year-olds got the chance to play against each other once in the WHL, Cristall for the Rockets and Bedard for the Regina Pats. There is still a question as to if either of them will see junior hockey action again, but they had the opportunity to play against each other once last season, a topic that made for great fodder when the 害羞草研究所楤edard Effect害羞草研究所� hit Prospera.

害羞草研究所淚 think we害羞草研究所檝e known each other for over 10 years now,害羞草研究所� said Bedard at the time. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e super competitive together, whatever it is we害羞草研究所檙e doing. I mean, he doesn害羞草研究所檛 beat me much but we害羞草研究所檙e together all the time, we害羞草研究所檙e super close.害羞草研究所�

READ MORE: Top hockey prospects, best friends Bedard and Cristall set to battle it out in Kelowna

NHL.com experts released a mock draft on June 11. While the top four picks are a consensus (Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, Will Smith) after that is when it gets contentious. Both experts that weighed in had Cristall going to Chicago at 19th.

害羞草研究所淭he Blackhawks can add one of Bedard害羞草研究所檚 best friends by selecting Cristall (5-9, 167), who mixes high-end skill with an edge,害羞草研究所� said writer Adam Kimelman. 害羞草研究所淗is speed and elusiveness allow him to find open spots in the offensive zone and his creativity and tenacity allow him to finish in-tight. Cristall can dominate in open ice, and one scout said Cristall is 害羞草研究所榖asically a cheat code on the power play.害羞草研究所�

Cristall害羞草研究所檚 hometown team, the Vancouver Canucks, holds the 11th overall pick.

READ MORE: Kelowna Rockets forward Cristall named one of the best in B.C.

Jake.courtepatte@kelownacapnews.com
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