Are you sick of hearing about Connor Bedard yet, hockey fans? If not, great; and if so, that's too damn bad, because his name will continue to be in the headlines for years to come. The most recent blurb involving the Chicago Blackhawks rookie phenom concerns NHL jersey sales. Bedard's sweater has been the top-selling jersey since the start of the 2023-24 NHL season, per Fanatics.
ESPN's Greg Wyshnyski shared the data on a recent episode of "The Drop" podcast. Here's a look at the top five:
- Connor Bedard - Chicago Blackhawks
- Jack Hughes - New Jersey Devils
- Artemi Panarin - New York Rangers
- Auston Matthews - Toronto Maple Leafs
- Mika Zibanejad - New York Rangers
Even before suiting up for an NHL game, Bedard had plenty of hype surrounding him. A junior hockey and World Juniors standout, the North Vancouver native went No. 1 overall to the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The hype built over the summer as Bedard had the best-selling jersey from draft day through opening night, per NHL Shop. And despite the Blackhawks being the NHL's worst team, Bedard has remained in the spotlight by producing several highlight-reel moments and 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) to lead all rookies.
Given Bedard's performance and the NHL's emphasis on promoting its young stars, it's no surprise to see the 18-year-old atop the league's best-selling jersey charts.
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