Bedard scored twice on Saturday.
Connor Bedard didn’t take much of a vacation after an electric rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023-24 — the young phenom is already making an impact for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships.
Bedard scored twice on Saturday, looking like an offensive threat from start to finish as Canada opened its title defense with a 4-2 win over Great Britain. The 18-year-old recorded both of his tallies in a four-minute span in the second period in Prague, Czech Republic, turning a 2-1 lead into a commanding 4-1 advantage.
“It’s nice to score, but it’s not something I’m thinking about right now,” said the tournament’s early leading goal scorer. “This is our first game and we’ve got a lot of areas to improve.”
Bedard’s first goal came midway through the second period, when he sent a rising wrist shot past Britain goaltender Jackson Whistle. He scored again on a fantastic feed from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nick Paul shortly after.
And just like that, the teenager is making an impact with the international senior team, just like he did at the World Juniors a few short years ago.
Connor Bedard ‘excited’ for 1st senior tournament
“I think it’s good when you’re playing with these guys and seeing how they are off the ice, on the ice… And then also against top players in the world like I did in the NHL, that can definitely help. I think it’ll be good for myself and for all the guys here,” Bedard said last week, according to NHL.com’s Michael Langr.
“[I’m] excited to kind of look around and see some stuff,” he added when asked about the experience of playing in Europe. “There are many things to see here. We were in Vienna and Budapest and it was great. Really, really good spots. Really beautiful cities and places I’d never been. So it was cool to kind of check that out and see what they are like. I really enjoyed it.”
Bedard led all rookies with 22 goals and 61 points in his first 68 career NHL games, earning him a finalist nod for the Calder Trophy as the league’s best first-year player. He’s a shoo-in to win the award, although he was Chicago’s 1C all campaign long.
On Saturday, he lined up on the wing for the first time professionally, skating on a line with Paul and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Micheal Bunting.
“Every international team I feel is going to have guys that play everywhere and maybe will play at a new position,” Bedard said of the change. “But you know, we’ve all played every position. So it’s not a huge adjustment for us anyway, and we will have some time to build on that as the [tournament] goes on.”
It doesn’t matter what position Bedard plays — he’s going to score goals. And the two he scored against Great Britain are very unlikely to be his last at the IIHF World Championships. He’ll look to keep making an impact when Canada lines up against Denmark in Prague on Sunday.
News
Will The Mets Trade Pete Alonso?
The Mets head to London for a World Tour series against the Phillies this weekend. Even after sweeping the Nationals, New York owns a 27-35 record that has them above just the Rockies and Marlins in the National League. They’re…
LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks will have new jerseys and primary logos next season
Photo credit: MayorsManor The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks are set to have new jerseys and primary logos next season. A new report revealed that Fanatics, the brand hired by the NHL to produce their jerseys for the…
Oilers Stanley Cup Finals ticket prices are revealed and fans are shocked
Photo credit: Rogers Place The Stanley Cup Finals are the pinnacle of the NHL, and now that they once again feature a Canadian team, prices are absolutely through the roof. It’s common knowledge that Canadian fans are the most passionate…
“Poor Dude Starving for Attention”- Austin Rivers Takes a Dig While Responding to Stephen Jackson’s ‘Irrelevant’ Comment
Stephen Jackson, Austin Rivers (Image Source: Getty Images) After a recent conversation, there appears to be growing animosity between Stephen Jackson and Austin Rivers, two former NBA players. Jackson labeled Rivers irrelevant, which prompted Rivers to reply on X, the previous Twitter platform. Austin…
Bruins, Stars, Avalanche emerge as favorites to land Patrick Kane
Photo credit: Detroit Red Wings The betting odds for Patrick Kane’s next team have been released and we now know that the Bruins, Stars, and Avalanche are the favorites to land the American superstar winger. The betting odds released today…
Former NBA Guard Delonte West Arrested Again, Disturbing Mugshot Released
Delonte West (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images). Former NBA player Delonte West was arrested again this Thursday, according to an official representing the Fairfax County Detention Center. The 40-year-old was booked on a pair of misdemeanor charges, having violated the conditions of…
End of content
No more pages to load