C Connor Bedard - Regina Pats, WHL (2023 Draft)

[grentthealien]

I figure if his Ontario peer Adam Fantilli has his own thread then Connor definitely deserves one. He is a 13 year old leading the CSSBHL in scoring with an impressive stat line of 31 goals and 12 assists for 43 points in 13 games. He is playing mostly with kids a year older than him and not showing any signs of being overwhelmed . He is being hyped a fair bit by hockey media like the hockey news and drawing comparisons to Sidney Crosby and Connor Mcdavid. To boot he is already 5ft7 at 13 with room to grow. Below is a link to a recent small article about him to read and a link to his EP page
Meet the future of hockey, 13-year-old Connor Bedard - TheHockeyNews
Connor Bedard at eliteprospects.com

Click to read more...

 

[VasilyHoglander]

Talented kid but even a harder worker. This kid was shooting out in the freezing rain for like 3 hrs by himself. His neighbour was wondering what that noise was. Starting filming him and tells him when you make the NHL, I’ll show everyone this video why you made it.

 

[Patrik Barkov]

Talented kid but even a harder worker. This kid was shooting out in the freezing rain for like 3 hrs by himself. His neighbour was wondering what that noise was. Starting filming him and tells him when you make the NHL, I’ll show everyone this video why you made it.

Personally I wouldn't show anyone if I secretly filmed my 13-year-old neighbour but to each their own I guess

 

[MasterMatt25]

Personally I wouldn't show anyone if I secretly filmed my 13-year-old neighbour but to each their own I guess

It would be creepier if he didn't tell them

 

[LeProspector]

Friggen 13 years of age. Best of luck to The Dog.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

I’m predicting this thread will go on for a long time! He’s going to be a good one.

 

[alko]

I’m predicting this thread will go on for a long time! He’s going to be a good one.

He isnt an unknown name on Hfboards. First time he was mentioned here, is from July 2016 in Child Prodigy thread.

And there was a hot talk in the Matthew Savoie thread: Which one is (will be) better?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Friggen 13 years of age. Best of luck to The Dog.

Ridiculous to already hype him up at that age, I feel that's always been kind of weird to do.

 

[93LEAFS]

Ridiculous to already hype him up at that age, I feel that's always been kind of weird to do.

I honestly think its bad when places rush to hype up these kids this young. I thought it was irresponsible of the Hockey News to rank him in their top 100 21 and under (and the same applies to Shane Wright and Savoie who are a year older). Putting kids this young on a pedestal doesn't seem like a good idea for their development when they are 5 years away from their draft.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I honestly think its bad when places rush to hype up these kids this young. I thought it was irresponsible of the Hockey News to rank him in their top 100 21 and under (and the same applies to Shane Wright and Savoie who are a year older). Putting kids this young on a pedestal doesn't seem like a good idea for their development when they are 5 years away from their draft.

Especially in a high school league/program that isn't renown in any sort of way. Like why? Why do that to the kid?

 

[93LEAFS]

Especially in a high school league/program that isn't renown in any sort of way. Like why? Why do that to the kid?

The league is pretty renowned now. They have basically poached the kids who previously played for elite AAA travel teams in Western Canada. It is a recent development, but it is where the likely elite WHL talent is going to come from if this current development path holds.

 

[I am toxic]

He isnt an unknown name on Hfboards. First time he was mentioned here, is from July 2016 in Child Prodigy thread.

And there was a hot talk in the Matthew Savoie thread: Which one is (will be) better?

Connor was first mentioned almost a year earlier here.

 

[Big Phil]

The Hockey News did an article on him the other day. Don't know a lot about him, other than he's a 13 year old wunderkid playing with much older boys right now. His goal is to go #1 overall in the 2023 NHL draft. I know a lot can change. Angelo Esposito for instance dropped like a stone in just under two years. Jason Spezza still went #2 overall and has had a decent career but for three years he was being talked about like he was to save hockey. So a lot can change, and neither of these guys were 13 either, they were 15-16.

 

[Big Phil]

Mods, can you edit the name on the thread title to Connor?

 

[93LEAFS]

It is crazy to hype up 13-year-olds like this. I've seen what it did to AAU basketball, and I don't think its a positive. Back in the day, it was a one-day news story in a national paper. Now, its just something that stays online and is constantly discuss, with people who haven't even seen the kid pumping up the hype.

 

[93LEAFS]

Mods, can you edit the name on the thread title to Connor?

You can do it yourself, you should see an option called thread tools next to watch thread and ignore thread, which is only available to Mods and OP.

 

[Big Phil]

If a kid like Matthew Savoie for instance applies for exceptional status in the WHL next year and makes noise as a 15 year old then you can start talking because the next step for him would be the 2022 NHL draft. I think if you start dominating at the junior level you should start talking about the kid.

I just don't know a lot about Bedard, was wondering what others knew.

 

[alko]

The Hockey News did an article on him the other day. Don't know a lot about him, other than he's a 13 year old wunderkid playing with much older boys right now. His goal is to go #1 overall in the 2023 NHL draft. I know a lot can change. Angelo Esposito for instance dropped like a stone in just under two years. Jason Spezza still went #2 overall and has had a decent career but for three years he was being talked about like he was to save hockey. So a lot can change, and neither of these guys were 13 either, they were 15-16.

Others, like Crosby, McDavid and company were also scouted in their 13s. And here we are, they are real stars. So, maybe this little guy has the tools. Did you see him play? maybe the guys from Hockey News did.

 

[93LEAFS]

Others, like Crosby, McDavid and company were also scouted in their 13s. And here we are, they are real stars. So, maybe this little guy has the tools. Did you see him play? maybe the guys from Hockey News did.

Maybe by NCAA teams and Prep schools, but no NHL team is going to allocate resources to scouting 13-year-olds unless they are playing against 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds in a respected league. It's a waste of their time. What good is a draft report on a kid from 5 years prior? The information gathered at that point would be essentially useless by the time it actually matters for an NHL team (assembling their final draft board) These guys have enough on their plate traveling around their regions scouting the draft eligibles and making notes for the next years draft.

And for every McDavid and Crosby, there are a bunch of Patrik Koy's, Alex Forsberg's and John McFarland's.

 

[alko]

And for every McDavid and Crosby, there are a bunch of Patrik Koys and John McFarland's.

I agree. But sometimes there is real talent.

 

[ijuka]

It is crazy to hype up 13-year-olds like this. I've seen what it did to AAU basketball, and I don't think its a positive. Back in the day, it was a one-day news story in a national paper. Now, its just something that stays online and is constantly discuss, with people who haven't even seen the kid pumping up the hype.

Meh, I don't agree. Perhaps it's because I'm a huge fan of figure skating, but in figure skating hyping 13-year-olds up is perfectly normal and as such, I really don't see the "ethical concerns" with the age. Even in Canada there's a 13-year-old skater who gets extreme hype right now. Yes, hockey's a sport with a greater regular following, but the amount of people who care about any sort of a 13-year-old player is very minimal in the grand scheme. Busts obviously happen, but that in my opinion doesn't matter so much. You re-evaluate as you go. Even draft-aged players bust.

Anyway, I've seen him play several games during the WSI-13 competition during 2018 spring. What my overall impression was is that he's very ready to play hockey for his age. However, he didn't really blow me away in such a way a player like McDavid has. I got the feeling that he's playing ahead of his age, rather than getting the feeling that he's a prodigy who even most professionals couldn't touch skill-wise. I don't think that he's at that level, judging by that tournament. Of course, it could be that he was coasting there - That's pretty common.

 

[scallionjj11]

Maybe by NCAA teams and Prep schools, but no NHL team is going to allocate resources to scouting 13-year-olds unless they are playing against 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds in a respected league. It's a waste of their time. What good is a draft report on a kid from 5 years prior? The information gathered at that point would be essentially useless by the time it actually matters for an NHL team (assembling their final draft board) These guys have enough on their plate traveling around their regions scouting the draft eligibles and making notes for the next years draft.

And for every McDavid and Crosby, there are a bunch of Patrik Koy's, Alex Forsberg's and John McFarland's.

I don't think scouted was the right word for him/her to use there. I think the poster is trying to say that some of these kids are so good when they're so young that they start drawing attention at a very young age.

 

[I am toxic]

deleted

 

[Big Phil]

And for every McDavid and Crosby, there are a bunch of Patrik Koy's, Alex Forsberg's and John McFarland's.

Oh boy, that takes me back. John McFarland! He was as can't miss as can be. This is sort of why I don't like getting excited about someone at least until they hit junior hockey. McFarland never played more than three games in the NHL.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

Report: Scouts from LA CHI STL NJ PHI OTT MTL and VAN to gather round Connor Bedard's crib this Thursday