Sidney Crosby shares important advice with Connor Bedard.

Entering a professional sports league at the level of the National Hockey League can be a daunting challenge, but that is especially true for certain players who do so with monumental expectations placed on their shoulders. That is often the case for number one picks in the NHL draft and it will certainly be the case for young Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard.

Many believe that Bedard will be a truly generational talent and with that comes huge expectations, expectations that no player is ever sure to be capable of meeting. Thankfully for Bedard though he is not the first such player to enter the NHL and over the weekend another such player, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, had some sound advice to share with the youngster.

Speaking with Penguins beat writer Dave Molinari, Crosby advised Bedard to simply enjoy the ride.

“Just enjoy it,” said Crosby as per Molinari. “I still remember so much of my first year, all these years later. Going into buildings for the first time, cities. Playing against guys every night that you were watching the year before. You get up for that challenge, but also, you want to enjoy it, because you only have that first year once, and there’s so much that’s so cool about it. He’s going to want to do well, but (he should) try to enjoy it as much as he can.”

Bedard's first such experience will come on October 10th when the NHL season officially gets underway, and it will come against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins when Bedard and the Blackhawks travel to PPG Paints Arena.

Crosby also had some sound advice for Bedard in regards to how he should handle all of the expectations that have suddenly been thrust upon his shoulders, advice that boils down to a two letter word "no."

“Maybe I would have said ‘No,’ a little bit more,” Crosby said. “There were a lot of demands, as far as interviews. You become pretty busy, not just on the ice, but off the ice. You put a lot of pressure on yourself, as it is. He’s got a lot of pressure, but I’m sure he puts a lot on himself. That’s probably the pressure that he feels the most."

The first day of the regular season will feature a meeting between these two generational talents, and I for one simply cannot wait.