“He’s elite hockey sense” – Connor Bedard likely to be No. 1 pick in 2023 NHL Draft
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Connor Bedard
Canadian junior ice hockey centre Connor Bedard of Regina of the Western Hockey League stands a strong chance to be available in the 2023 NHL Draft. The 5-foot-9, 181 pounds right-shot was fourth in the WHL with 100 points (51 goals and 49 assists) in 62 games as an alternate captain in his second WHL season.
The North Vancouver native Bedard set a Regina record for most goals in a season by a 16-year-old, passing the veteran San Jose Sharks star Jeff Friesen’s 45 goals in 1992-93. He also had the most points by any player of his age (Doug Wickenheiser, 88 points, 1977-78).
“He’s elite hockey sense, elite skill, elite everything,” Peter Sullivan of NHL Central Scouting said, as quoted by nhl.com. “But when he does get frustrated out there, he’s not afraid to give it back, which is a good sign. I compared him to [Hockey Hall of Famer] Marcel Dionne since he played the same way. Guys didn’t want to fool around with [Dionne] because he would go right back at them, and yet he didn’t have a lot of penalty minutes.”
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“Bedard can go from 1-to-60 in two seconds”
Bedard, who is about to turn 17 this July 17, tied for second at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in seven games to help the Canadian team win the tournament, including a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win against Russia in the championship game.
“Skill-wise he’s not only quick but has two or three gears and it’s legit,” Sullivan said. “I mean, the most famous player that had five or six gears was Bobby Orr, and this is what [Bedard] has. He’s got a gear that can go from 1-to-60 in two seconds; he’s that special a player.”
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Sachin Arora
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