After scoring his 50th and 51st goals of the campaign, Conor Bedard became the youngest player in WHL history to score 50 goals. Today we will discuss about Connor Bedard: Exceptional status| Draft year| Highlights| DB
Connor Bedard: Exceptional status| Draft year| Highlights| DB
Conor Bedard (born July 17, 2005) is a Canadian junior ice hockey center for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL).[1] Bedard was awarded the first WHL player of exceptional status by the Regina Pats in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. [2] Bedard will be eligible for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
| Connor Bedard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | July 17, 2005 North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 179 lb (81 kg; 12 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| WHL team | Regina Pats | ||
| NHL Draft | Eligible, 2023 | ||
| Playing career | TBD–present | ||
Exceptional status
Connor Bedard, a 14-year-old forward with the West Vancouver Academy Under-18 team, has been rated as a player of exceptionalism and will be eligible to play in the Western Hockey League all next season at the age of 15.
Players typically join the WHL at age 15, but may play a maximum of five games in the league at that age until their dwarf team’s season is over.
Bedard is the seventh and the first from Western Canada to achieve exceptional player status. He was in Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (2005), Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Eckblad (2011), Edmonton Oilers center Conor McDavid (2012), New York Rangers defenseman Prospect Sean Day (2013), Detroit Red Wings forward prospect Joseph Valeno (2015) joined. ) and Shane Wright of Kington of the Ontario Hockey League (2019). Valeno, who turned pro this season after four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, was the only player outside the Ontario Hockey League to achieve exceptional player status.
Draft year
“He’s a dynamic player,” said TSN director of scouting Craig Button. “Superb hockey spirit, hand skills, ability to break opponents quickly and effectively. I don’t care how many expectations are from him, he always finds a way to exceed them.”
Bedard was the first 16-year-old since Conor McDavid to crack Canada’s world junior roster in December and impressed, joining Wayne Gretzky as the only 16-year-old to score a hat-trick for Canada in the tournament. Bedard also became the sixth Canadian to score four goals in a game in the tournament in an 11–2 victory over Austria.
Now in their second Western Hockey League season, North Vancouver B.C., having achieved exceptional status from Hockey Canada in March 2020. The native has 20 goals and 36 points in 28 games.
SKA St. Petersburg forward Matvei Michkov debuted at No. 2 in the rankings. He has five points from 13 matches in the KHL this season. The 17-year-old was a standout for the Russians with three goals in two matches at the canceled 2022 World Juniors.
Highlights
Bedard dismissed Matthew Sutter with a move that caused the Calgary Hitmen defense to lose his balance. In a face-off with Brayden Peters, Bedard looked like he was going to attempt a backhand shot before putting his stick between his legs and flipping the puck behind the Calgary goaltender.
“Jaw-dropping,” said Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock after Calgary’s 5-4 overtime win. “It was like, ‘Whoa… what did we just see?’
“It’s so unique to beat a defenseman face to face and then do that.”
So is Bedard, who last year became the first 15-year-old to join the WHL under the exceptional-player designation.
“His mind is working further in the game than the rest of us,” Paddock said, noting that goals like Bedard’s gem — which quickly went viral on social media — are usually reserved for the pro ranks. are.”
“It was so wonderful to make two moves like this within 15 or 20 feet. We have to enjoy it while we have it to watch.”
In addition to winning 11 of 15 faceoffs, Bedard had two goals and one assist on his way to being named Sunday’s first star. He has 30 points including 14 goals in his last 13 matches. With seven points from the last three games, he was named the WHL’s Player of the Week on Monday.
Pats defenseman Riker Evans was named a third star on Sunday after recording his second consecutive two-goal game.
DB
It is rare to see a player being given exceptional status at the junior hockey level. Once this happens, everyone in the hockey community is immediately aware of the player’s name and has expectations that need to be met. Some are able to meet them and others take a little longer to find their game. For the most recent player tagged with the title?
Yeah, it didn’t take him long to find his game.
As noted by Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson, the 5’10 forward from Bedard, North Shore, BC, is doing better than some of the very best players in his 15-year-old season so far. These include John Tavares, Shane Wright (from last season), and… Conor McDavid.
