By Canadian Press

‘Just do your best’: Defending superstar Bedard a tough task for CHL’s top prospects

Jan 24, 2023 | 3:52 PM

LANGLEY, B.C. — Containing teen phenom Connor Bedard is no easy feat — just ask the top players in the Canadian Hockey League. 

Hot off his second gold medal for Canada at the world junior hockey championship last month, Bedard is set to highlight the Kubota CHL/NHL top prospects game Wedenesday when 40 of the junior hockey league’s top talents will go head-to-head in Langely, B.C.

Matching up against the star centre for the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats is going to be a mammoth task, said defenceman Oliver Bonk. 

“Just do your best,” said the blueliner for the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights. “You can’t back up too much because he’s going to blow by you, you can’t let him shoot because he’s got a bullet of a shot. So it’s going to be tough, but I’ll do my best.”

Bedard, a 17-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., has left jaws slack with his incredible play both for the Pats and Team Canada, and is widely anticipated to go No. 1 at the NHL entry draft this summer. 

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He’s the first player granted exceptional status to play in the WHL a year early at age 15, and set numerous scoring records at the world juniors last month. He also comes into the top prospects game on a stunning 32-game point streak in league play and sits atop the WHL with 81 points (39 goals, 42 assists) in 33 appearances this season. 

Competing against Bedard is a lot of fun, said Nate Danielson, a centre for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. 

“He’s pretty dynamic. I think we’ve all seen that sort of the past while now watching him,” Danielson said. “I think you’ve just got to play your own game, and he’s going to do what he does out there. And you’ve just got to sort of deal with it as it comes.”

As a defenceman for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, Lukas Dragicevic doesn’t matchup against Bedard often these days, and that’s just fine by him. 

“I grew up playing against him and he’s been doing all that to me. So I’m happy to see him doing that to other defencemen, not to me,” the native of Richmond, B.C., said with a smile. 

Limiting the young superstar’s offence is all about awareness, Dragicevic added. 

“You’ve just got to know he’s on the ice and where he is. And you guys have seen his shot, so he can score from anywhere,” he said. “You’ve always got to be prepared for it and know where he is.”

While Bedard is the favourite to go first overall, this year’s NHL draft class is expected to be deep with talent. 

Those expectations come with extra attention for the up-and-coming stars. Wednesday’s game is expected to be played in front of a sold-out crowd at the 5,276-seat Langley Event Centre, with dozens of NHL scouts and managers in attendance. 

Handling the extra eyes doesn’t create too much extra pressure, Bonk said.

“I think the biggest thing is that (scouts and NHL management) want winners,” he said. “So it’s easy to focus on the team. And obviously if the team is doing really well, you’re going to do well.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2023. 

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press