Connor Bedard will step onto the ice in Vancouver as an NHL player for the first time on Saturday in a highly anticipated, yet costly, moment for the wonderkid. The North Vancouver native and 2023 No. 1 overall pick will lead the Chicago Blackhawks (6–9-1) against the Canucks at Rogers Arena, fulfilling a childhood dream.

The Vancouver Canucks (8-4-3) will have their eyes set on a bounce-back performance as they welcome Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks (6-10-1) to Rogers Arena on Saturday night. Vancouver is coming off one of their worst performances of the season as they fell at home to the New York Islanders 5-2 on Thursday night.

Connor Bedard will be in action in his hometown when the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. The second-year player will draw plenty of attention as many of his family and friends are expected to be in attendance,

Sometimes you come back to it and it clicks even easier,” Chicago Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said of line changes for Connor Bedard.

North Vancouver, which sits above Vancouver Harbor and Burrard Inlet, has a population of approximately 64,000. It’s about a seven-mile drive from downtown Vancouver or a 12-minute trip on the SeaBus that connects the downtown Waterfront to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver.

Connor Bedard is set for a homecoming in Vancouver on Saturday night, as the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Canucks for the first time this season. Last year, Bedard missed the matchup between both teams with a broken jaw that left him sidelined for a few weeks in January,

Bedard is playing better hockey this season than as a rookie but is struggling to do the thing that is supposed to come easy to him — score.