Bedard, 2023 NHL Draft prospects enjoy 'incredible' time at Cup Final

LAS VEGAS -- The four guys walked through the casinos with a camera crew, as if they were filming the latest sequel to "The Hangover."

Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Will Smith and Leo Carlsson each wore a sharp suit with no tie as the group cut through the Aria and Park MGM, headed to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena on Monday.

The top prospects for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft in Nashville on June 28-29 could have used a nickname like the "Wolfpack." "Bedard and the Boys"? "Fantilli and the Fellas"? "Will Smith and Fresh Princes"? "Carlsson and the Crew"? "The 'Centers' of Attention"?

"Me and Connor were talking about that," Smith said. "Not a nickname, but we were saying …"

He paused.

"We'll see what happens," he said with a smile.

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The NHL has brought top prospects to the Cup Final since 1993. It gives them a chance to do media interviews ahead of the draft, but it also gives them a chance to get to know each other and develop a unique bond. Most important, it gives them a chance to see the end goal up close.

Having the event here this year gave it an added element. None of the prospects had been to Las Vegas before. Bedard is 17. The others are 18.

"It's crazy," Smith said. "I like it. A lot of energy. Someone said it's like a Saturday night every night here."

The prospects had dinner at Jean Georges Steakhouse and played at Topgolf together on Sunday. When they woke up Monday, there were no wild animals in their rooms like in the movie.

"No tigers," Fantilli said.

After breakfast Monday, they went to City National Arena, the Golden Knights' practice facility about 25 minutes west of the Strip. Smith noted the expensive cars in the parking lot, Carlsson the Golden Knights' two chefs, Bedard each of the players' huge supply of sticks.

Neither team had a full morning skate ahead of the 5 p.m. PT face-off, but the prospects still got to meet coaches and players.

"I think what it really shows is how awesome they are as guys," Fantilli said. "I mean, they don't really have to take too much time to come talk to us, because we're just here to observe. But they take time out of their pregame to come talk to us and show us some hospitality at their practice facility, so it was amazing just to talk to those guys."

Video: Fantilli and Carlsson joins the show

Nine players in the Cup Final now visited the Cup Final as a top prospect once upon a time: defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forwards Jack Eichel and Phil Kessel from Vegas, and defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Marc Staal and forwards Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Eric Staal and Matthew Tkachuk from Florida.

"It goes by fast," said Reinhart, who got to see the Los Angeles Kings play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in 2014 before the Buffalo Sabres selected him No. 2. "I mean, it's year whatever it is now, and it feels like yesterday I was in New York watching them and L.A. go at it. So, you know, I think, just don't take anything for granted. I certainly am not being this position now."

Tkachuk, who got to see the Pittsburgh Penguins play the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center in 2016 before the Calgary Flames selected him No. 6, said, "I think one thing that I didn't know then is just how hard it would be to get to this point."

Eric Staal met with the prospects and told them he did this in 2003 -- before any of them were born. The 38-year-old went to the Carolina Hurricanes with the No. 2 pick that year.

Paul Maurice, Staal's coach then and now, joined the conversation and told the prospects how Staal started out as an 18-year-old in his first training camp and developed afterward.

And then Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas walked by.

"I just said, 'That's why it's really important you learn how to keep your eyes up when you're handling the puck,'" Maurice said with a laugh.

The prospects had lunch at the Aria and walked over to the arena with an NHL Studios crew filming them for a video segment. They posed for a photo together in front of a Cup Final backdrop, then spoke with reporters from newspapers, websites and TV outlets.

Finally, they got to watch the game and envision themselves in the Cup Final someday, maybe someday soon.

"I think you ask anyone what their goal is in hockey, it's to win a Stanley Cup," Bedard said. "I mean, obviously we're all still young, but we dream, and we have those goals for sure. Just being here is incredible. I mean, it's such a great thing the NHL does for us."

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