Connor Bedard was drafted on June 28th, 2023, which was day one during the NHL Entry Draft at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee by the Chicago Blackhawks as the number 1 overall pick.
What Year Was Connor Bedard Born?
Connor Bedard was born on July 17th, 2005 which means he was 17 years old when the 2023 NHL Entry Draft took place. He was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Was Connor Bedard Drafted First Overall in the WHL?
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The Regina Pats of the WHL selected Connor Bedard first overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. He was selected from the West Vancouver Academy Prep Under-18 team of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL). Bedard led the CSSHL’s U15 league in scoring in 2018/19 with 64 goals and 24 assists for 88 points in 30 games and was named the league’s MVP.
The next season he played for the U18 team and was named MVP again after racking up a league-high 84 points in 36 games on 43 goals and 41 assists.
Was Bedard Granted Exceptional Player Status for the WHL?
In March, 2020 Hockey Canada granted Connor Bedard exceptional status which enabled him to be drafted into major junior Canadian Hockey League (CHL) a year before he was eligible.
Bedard then went on to prove this was a good decision as he was named the WHL’s rookie of the year in his first season in 2020/21 when he scored 12 goals and 16 assists in 15 games and received the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for his achievement. Bedard was the first-ever WHL player to be granted exceptional status.
Was Connor Bedard Likely to Be Drafted First Overall in the NHL?
It’s was likely that Bedard would be chosen first overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft due to his on-ice accomplishments so far in his career and he was ranked first overall by NHL Central Scouting. These achievements include becoming the youngest WHL player ever to score at least 50 goals in a season when he notched 51 goals and 49 assists for 100 points in 62 games in 2021/22.
He finished the campaign second in the league in goals and fourth overall in points and became just the third WHL player to reach 100 points in a season at the age of 16. In 2022/23, Bedard became the first WHL player in 10 years to post 20-game point scoring streaks in consecutive seasons.
Bedard has also stood out on the international hockey scene as he was named the Best Forward and the MVP at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2023 and was was named to the tournament’s Media All-Star Team.
He scored nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in just seven games in the event and led Canada to the gold medal. Bedard also won a gold medal at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championships and at the 2021 World Under-18 Championships.
After his first 27 games for his homeland Bedard had tallied 30 goals and 27 assists for 57 points with just 10 minutes in penalties. He had also scored 45 goals and 46 assists for 91 points after his first 38 games with Regina in 2022/23.
What Makes Connor Bedard Stand Out as a Hockey Player?
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As of 2023, Bedard stood 5-feet-10-inches tall (178 centimetres) and weighed approximately 185 lbs (84 kilograms). However his lack of height definitely hasn’t hindered him on the ice as he’s set several international scoring records for Canada and is the top-scoring player ever at the World Junior Championships under the age of 19.
Bedard is so effective as he has excellent on-ice vision and intelligence and seems to know where his teammates are at all times. He’s able to slip and slide through offensive-zone gaps to create his own chances and has a knack for scoring goals thanks to his excellent release and accuracy. He’s very adept at quickly changing skating direction due to strong legs and has a terrific work ethic.
Read my related article: What Kind of Stick and Curve Does Connor Bedard Use?
Final Thoughts
Connor Bedard is well on his way to becoming a future NHL star as he’s a very special elite-level player who has the potential to change the fortunes of the Chicago Blackhawks. There have been several first-overall draft picks who had disappointing NHL careers but it’s highly doubtful Bedard will become one of them as he appears to be a “generational talent”.
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.
