HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Connor Bedard was as confident off the ice as he was on it, dealing with questions regarding one of the greatest performances in World Junior Championships history as adeptly as he did with his opponents. The prospective No. 1 of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft led all players with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) and was named the tournament’s top forward and most valuable player.
“No one will remember that in 20 years,” Bedard said following Canada’s 3-2 extra-time win over the Czech Republic in Thursday’s gold medal game. “We will look at our gold medal. We will not look at the statistics.”
[Ähnliches Bedard macht die IIHF U20-WM 2023 zu seiner Bühne]
Bedard’s performance was stunning but some of his teammates believe he can do even better. “I think he can do a lot more,” said goalkeeper Thomas Milic. “He’s an incredible player and he keeps showing that there are no limits to his game.”
In the seven games Bedard completed at Halifax, there were few potential criticisms. He set the record for most points by a Canadian player at the World Juniors, breaking that of Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011) set a record of 18 points. He set a Canadian record for a single tournament with 14 assists. That was two more than Jason Allison at the 1995 World Junior Championships.
Bedard was the fourth most points scorer at an U20 World Cup, behind Swedish forwards Peter Forsberg (31, 1993) and Markus Naslund (24, 1993) and Finnish forward Raimo Helminen (24, 1984). He also scored the most points of a 17-year-old at a World Youth Championship, surpassing the 18-point mark set by Czechoslovakian striker Jaromir Jagr in 1990.
The only game in which Bedard did not score was the gold medal game. Nevertheless, he earned a lot of praise for his game. “It was an incredible performance,” Canada forward Shane Wright (Seattle Kraken) was quoted as saying. “I’m at a loss for words to describe how outstanding his performance was throughout the tournament. How mature he seemed, what a good teammate he was for every single player. … Even if he didn’t score a point tonight , he is clearly the MVP of the tournament, easily the best player of the event.”
Though the stats and records stand out, Canada coach Dennis Williams admitted it was his consistent attitude towards the team that endeared Bedard to his teammates. “I think Connor’s good qualities are not only his outstanding ability and his style of play, but he has also proven that he can be a winner in every tournament,” said Williams. “I think a lot of people just look at him for his accomplishments on the ice and don’t realize how humble and intelligent he is. I mightn’t imagine being in his shoes with the amount of attention and pressure that’s on weighs on him, night following night. … He’s more mature than his age suggests. At the end of the day, I really think I learned from him that winning is more important to him than anything else out there.”
Bedard next returns to Regina in the Western Hockey League, where he has also excelled. Though he hasn’t played a game since December 4 because of World Juniors, he leads the WHL with 64 points (27 goals, 37 assists) and has a 27-game point streak.
Regina plays once morest Seattle on Friday, where Milic also plays. Bedard is unlikely to return to the roster anytime soon, but he’s already focused on helping Regina improve in the second half of the season and reach the Memorial Cup, the championship for the 60-club Canadian Ice Hockey League that play in the WHL, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
“I think that’s what all the guys in the CHL want to achieve,” he said. “That’s what you’re aiming for this season. I’m enjoying this right now…but once I’m back in Regina we have to get going and I’m looking forward to that.”
Further ahead is the 2023 NHL Draft on June 28th and 29th in Nashville.
“We still have so much time,” said Bedard. “My focus now is on that title and enjoying the success and then going back to Regina and trying to play well there. For me it’s regarding taking one day at a time and not looking too far ahead.”
After Regina plays Seattle on Friday, they face Calgary on Sunday and Saskatoon on January 13th. Those who know Bedard believe he can do even better than he showed at the U20 World Championships, where the 17-year-old prevailed once morest players with NHL and American Hockey League experience.
“I think this tournament can really help a player, whether you’re playing really well or learning from mistakes,” said defenseman Olen Zellweger (Anaheim Ducks), who plays for Everett in the WHL, which Regina turned 4 on Oct. 29 :3 batted, with Bedard contributing a goal and an assist. “I think it can definitely help him develop… I don’t know how much better he can get. But at the moment he’s very, very good.”
[Klicken Sie hier für die komplette Berichterstattung von der Junioren-Weltmeisterschaft auf NHL.com/de]
