“Obviously, you want to see what happens and whatnot. But I’m just trying to enjoy everything that goes along with it.”
The most discussed possibility considering that Connor McDavid burst onto the scene in 2015, Bedard’s sluggish march to the draft in Nashville, Tenn., has actually consisted of an eye-popping last 10 months.
The No. 1-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting won back-to-back gold medals at the world junior hockey champion in August and January, controlled the Western Hockey League, and was, to put it candidly, head-and-shoulders above the rest of his draft contemporaries.
Bedard, who turns 18 next month, was likewise called the Canadian Hockey League’s leading possibility, leading scorer and gamer of the year – an initially in the very same season.
His 71 objectives with the Regina Pats were the most by a WHLer in 24 years, while his 143 points represented a high-bar on the circuit considering that 1995-96.
“That generational-type player,” NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. “We’ve focused on him for the last three years leading up to this event.
“It’s very difficult for the youngest player on any team to be the best player on the team. And he’s been able to do that every outing, every event, almost every game that you’re at. It just puts him in that special category.”
The Chicago Blackhawks own the very first choice at the draft June 28 and are a slam dunk to pick the centre after waving bye-bye to franchise icons and three-time Stanley Cup winners Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews this previous season.
But the always-humble Bedard still isn’t letting his guard down.
The North Vancouver, B.C., item decreased Friday to compare himself to other gamers in this draft and talked how fantastic it would be “if” he makes the NHL.
“It’d be awesome,” Bedard said at a jam-packed interview of being picked by the Original Six franchise. “The history of that organization, that city with sports would be unbelievable.
“We’ll see what happens, but to be selected, that would be a huge honour.”
Bedard’s real breakout, when he all however revealed to the hockey world he would be going No. 1, came at the 2023 world juniors in Halifax over the holiday.
He smashed competition and nationwide records, at the same time passing names like Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Eric Lindros after filling opposition internet with a string of awesome, jaw-dropping efficiencies in the greatest minutes.
There’s a lot chatter ahead of Bedard’s crowning that little oxygen has actually been provided a few of the other huge names – gamers most likely remain in the discussion for the No. 1 area most years – consisting of Canadian world junior colleague Adam Fantilli and Swedish forward Leo Carlsson.
“There’s a lot of words that start with ‘C’ that analytics can’t judge for you – like character,” Marr said of Bedard. “One of them is consistency … he can consistently play that high-character game.
“It’s truly impressive.”
Bedard has actually been on a whirlwind the last couple of weeks. He went to the Stanley Cup last with other leading draft hopefuls and was on the TNT broadcast together with Gretzky.
He even satirized NHL-journeyman-turned-podcaster-and-TV-personality Paul Bissonnette on the panel.
“It makes you want to play that much more,” Bedard said of being at the last in Las Vegas. “It was great the NHL does that for us … it was awesome.”
The league, on the other hand, is counting down the minutes till it can invite its next super star.
“He’s right up there with Connor McDavid,” Marr said of Bedard in regards to hunting the teenager. “It’s just the next generation. The speed of the game, the quickness. These young players’ hockey sense is so quick to adapt and read plays, and the skill levels. It’s getting better and better, but it’s getting faster … the quickness is just unbelievable.
“Connor McDavid started that trend and Connor Bedard is going to lead it into the next trend.”
This report by The Canadian Press was very first released June 9, 2023.
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Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
