Connor Bedard is named to the NHL All-Star Game — and the Chicago Blackhawks rookie will be the youngest All-Star in league history

It was a no-brainer but an accomplishment nonetheless: Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard was named to his first NHL All-Star Game on Thursday.

Bedard will be 18 years, 201 days old on Feb. 3 — when the game will be played at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto — making him the youngest player in league history to play for an NHL All-Star team.

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He’ll be the second-youngest to play in an All-Star Game behind Fleming MacKell (18 years, 166 days), who played for the reigning Stanley Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs against the NHL All-Stars in the inaugural showcase in 1947.

MacKell wasn’t named an All-Star like Bedard was; the original format pitted the reigning champs against a team of selected All-Stars.

Bedard is just the second Hawks rookie to be named an NHL All-Star and the first in 54 years. Tony Esposito was the first during the 1969-70 season.

Two other Hawks rookies, Chico Maki and Murray Hall, played in the 1961 All-Star Game for the Hawks, not as All-Stars. The NHL All-Stars beat the Hawks 3-1.

“I’m sure that’s a very exciting time for him and his family,” Hawks coach Luke Richardson said. “He’s had a really good start. There’s still lots of things for an 18-year-old to learn in this league, but one of them is how to handle the highs and the lows.

”Right now, our team is on a low, so all the players individually feel partly responsible and that they could do better. But this is a good perk for him to put in his pocket, and hopefully gives a little lift to him and spark to his game.”

Bedard was one of 32 All-Stars — 28 skaters and four goaltenders, one player from each team — that the NHL’s hockey operations department named Thursday.

Fans will vote for an additional 12 spots. Voting opened Thursday at NHL.com/vote and closes Jan. 11.