Although he won’t play an NHL game for another 10 months, 17-year-old Canadian Connor Bedard already has hockey pundits wondering if he might be the league’s next pre-eminent star.
The 5-foot-10-inch forward scored 7 points in a game against Germany on Dec. 28 at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship, tying an all-time tournament record. The following game, on Dec. 29, he scored two goals and four assists against Austria. This brought his career Canadian World Junior goal total to 14, tying Regina Pats alumnus Jordan Eberle for the record.
Hockey eyes have been on the forward from North Vancouver for some time. He was the first player in Western Hockey League (WHL) history, and seventh ever in junior hockey, to be granted exceptional player status to play as a 15-year-old….