The stories of how much time Connor Bedard devoted to developing his accurate and prolific puck shooting skills while growing up in the remote Lynn Valley neighborhood nestled in Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains have become legend.
Damaged floors, broken windows, the blast of gunfire that keeps neighbors up at night, and Bedard’s refusal to take a family vacation to Disneyland are all part of it. They all paved the way for the 17-year-old to become the likely No. 1 pick when the Chicago Blackhawks open the two-day NHL draft on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.
And that’s not including how Bedard’s mother, Melanie, was pulled over by the police because her license plate had been damaged by multiple failed attempts.
“I don’t think I missed that much,” Bedard said with a laugh while attending the NHL Combine earlier this month.
“Maybe he hit a post, bounced off and hit the car or something,” he added. “My mother probably let me break some valuable things. But you know, I hope she doesn’t mind too much.”
Why should she? Those long hours of practice, eventually moved to the family’s backyard to reduce noise and potential damage, have led to Bedard being dubbed a generational talent.
He is Draw comparisons to fellow ice hockey player Connor – the one from McDavid who took first place overall after Edmonton in the 2015 draft.
“It’s just the next generation,” said Dan Marr, chief of NHL central scouting.
“The sense of hockey in these young players adapts so quickly to plays and skill levels, it just keeps getting better and faster,” added Marr. “Connor McDavid started this trend and Connor Bedard will lead it to the next trend.”
And forget the windows. At 5’7″ and weighing 185 pounds, Bedard is best known for breaking records and living up to the highest expectations over the past three seasons Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League And on the international stage.
He was the first WHL player – and the seventh in Canadian Hockey League history – to be granted special status, allowing Bedard to play in the major junior ranks at age 15. In the 2021–22 season, he became the youngest WHL player to score 50 goals and finished the season with 51 in 62 games. Last season he had 143 points (71 goals, 72 assists in 57 games), the most in the league since 1995/96.
Internationally, his 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 16 World Junior Championship games ranks fourth on the tournament list behind Peter Forsberg (42 points in 14 games), Robert Reichel (40 in 21) and Pavel Bure (39 in 21) . .
“Incredible,” was how young Swedish player Leo Carlsson described Bedard.
“Extraordinary” was the word used by his friend and fellow Canadian, Zach Benson. “I wouldn’t say there’s a way to slow him down.”
Bedard is the complete attacking package with adept movements – which he proved with his goal in extra time Canada’s 4-3 victory over Slovakia in World Junior Quarterfinals in January – passing ability and an exceptional shot. At 13, he added another story to Bedard’s story, amplifying his shot many times over continues to practice exclusively with the left hand after breaking his right wrist.
His shot was refined into a fluid, quick-release snap. Bedard uses a racquet that’s larger than most for a player his size, giving him extra torque and the ability to maneuver the puck away from defenders.
Chicoutimi defender Matteo Mann learned firsthand how difficult it is to defend Bedard when the two trained together for the CHL Prospects game in January.
At 6-6, Mann thought he had the angle and reach just to get Bedard to drag the puck around and fire a shot.
“I don’t think people understand how far he’s really taking the puck because when you watch TV it’s easy to point out the mistakes that defenders make in terms of the way they position their stick,” said man. “I would even say it’s deceptive.”
Regina coach John Paddock is no stranger to NHL talent, having played alongside the Stastny brothers in Quebec and coaching Teemu Selanne in Winnipeg, and mentions that Bedard had the same potential as McDavid and Sidney Crosby, when they were that age.
“I still try to be cautious when talking about people because it’s not like there’s any more pressure, but that’s quite a ceiling he’s looking at,” Paddock said. “But there’s no indication he won’t based on what he’s done so far.”
What impressed Paddock was Bedard’s ability to deliver at the big moment, like when the Pats traveled to Calgary to play the hitman in front of 17,000 fans at the NHL Flames’ home stadium. After forcing extra time by scoring with 33 seconds remaining, Bedard scored the goal only shootout goal with a 6:5 victory.
“I remember someone from our league office telling me afterwards that the audience basically knew he was going to score and they wanted him to score in that shootout,” Paddock said. “And it was in Calgary.”
Paddock’s only disappointment was that the Pats’ season ended in a loss in Game 7 of their first-round series against Saskatoon. It would have ended much sooner if it weren’t for Bedard, who finished with 10 goals and 20 points.
The mere chance to coach Bedard will never be forgotten by Paddock, 69.
“I don’t quite know how to describe it, but it’s kind of the cherry on the cake to have the opportunity to be around and work with a young man, a young player like this,” Paddock said.
Bedard, meanwhile, is in no rush to rush the design process or predict who might pick him.
“Obviously you want to see what’s happening and what’s not, but I’m just trying to enjoy everything that comes with it,” he said.
Bedard is certain that once the draft is over, he’ll get back to working on his game, whether it’s in the gym, on the ice, or in what he calls his “happy place” in his backyard.
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