Connor Bedard is just getting started with Team Canada
There's a lot more to come after Connor Bedard's international debut ended with a gold medal for Canada at the world under-18 championship.
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It didn’t take long for Connor Bedard to put the hockey world on notice.
A 5-3 gold-medal triumph over Russia provided the finishing touch for Bedard, who was wearing Canada’s colours for the first time in his young career.
Needless to say, it won’t be the last.
“There’s no doubt there are going to be opportunities for him to wear our jersey again and probably a number of times,” said Alan Millar, the director of player personnel with Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.
“I don’t think it’s out of the question that he’s a candidate to play on the world junior team as a 16-year-old. So far with Connor, I wouldn’t bet against him.”
Bedard can become just the eighth 16-year-old to represent Canada at the world juniors, following in the footsteps of superstars like Wayne Gretzky, Eric Lindros, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.
Bedard is already connected to McDavid after tying his Canadian record for points by a 15-year-old at the under-18 championship.
“Just hearing my name in the same sentence as his is unbelievable,” Bedard said. “He just put up 100 points in like 53 games or something. It’s ridiculous what he’s doing in the NHL. The last time (Canada) won (the U18 title) was when he played eight years ago, so it was really good to get that (gold) back to Canada again.”
Bedard is eligible to rejoin Team Canada late this summer for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial under-18 tournament, followed by the World Under-17 Challenge in the fall.
However, both events are in limbo due to COVID.
Since he has already been elevated to the U18 level, Bedard might not have participated in this year’s U17s anyway.
“In a normal hockey cycle, with no pandemic, when you receive exceptional player status … you play with the group ahead of you,” explained Millar. “Shane Wright grew up with the (2003-born players). Connor would have grown up with the ‘04s so technically he would have played under-17s a year ago but there was no under-17s (due to COVID).”
The current plan for Bedard — COVID permitting — is to be part of the under-18 summer camp in late July, early August. It will run in conjunction with Canada’s world junior development camp.
“The good thing about our plans for the summer is our under-18 group is going to get an opportunity to spend time with our under-20 players,” Millar continued. “It’s going to be a good development experience but it’s also going to give us an evaluation of that age group against 18- and 19-year-olds who are candidates for our world junior team. For Connor and a lot of those young guys that are going to be part of that under-18 process, it’s going to be a great opportunity.”
Bedard is excited about what the future may hold with Team Canada, but he also doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself.
At the moment, he’s just savouring last week’s gold-medal achievement.
“Just getting the opportunity to play for your country is something you always dream of as a kid,” said Bedard, who’s almost halfway through a mandatory 14-day quarantine after returning home to North Vancouver.
“(Hockey Canada) handled everything first-class. That made the hockey part a lot easier. It was fun getting to play with the top players in the country and seeing what those guys are like. And then obviously winning was one of the best feelings ever. Whenever you win (a championship), it’s crazy. But winning for your country and getting that gold medal is super surreal.
“If I ever get those opportunities in the future, that will be super exciting.”
Bedard’s 14 points tied him with Wright for second in the tournament and first on the team. Wright was granted exceptional status for early entry into the OHL in 2019 — one year before Bedard became the first 15-year-old to receive a special exemption to play in the WHL.
“We talked about it a little,” Bedard said. “We both kind of acknowledged how cool it was that we’re both in the same situation with the exceptional status and all that stuff. Then getting to play for Team Canada together was really cool. The coolest part was us connecting on that last goal, the empty netter (by Wright in the final). He’s definitely someone I look up to.”
The same goes for Kamloops Blazers star Logan Stankoven, who was moved to Bedard’s line early in the tournament. It was a welcome collaboration after going head-to-head with Stankoven a few years earlier at a pee wee tournament in Kamloops.
Stankoven is two years older than Bedard, who was playing up a level in that encounter.
“I remember it way too clearly,” Bedard said with a laugh. “For whatever reason … I was line matched against him and he just dominated. He had six points. I was on (the ice) for every one of them — minus-six — and I didn’t have a point. It was probably the least fun I’ve had in a hockey game in my life. I remember watching him skate around the zone and do whatever he wanted. It’s pretty funny now. He’s actually someone I’ve followed and looked up to and we became pretty good friends.”
If all goes well, they could see a lot more of each other in the coming years with Team Canada.
“There’s a real good foundation there,” Millar said of this year’s U18 champions. “We didn’t have Quebec league players (this year). We didn’t have (Carson) Lambos (injured) and (Cole) Sillinger (positive COVID test) so I think there’s a lot to look forward to. We have (elite) players like Wright and Bedard coming through the system. There’s lots of good young players that are going to be key parts of our program moving forward.”
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