Canada’s first game was a tense affair with a Latvian team that refused to go away. His second contest, trampling Slovakia, was over before the first period was in the books. Step 1 in each victory, however, was a shot by Bedard less than eight minutes into the night to open the scoring. On Tuesday, she was a patented beauty. On Wednesday night, he finished a great game with captain Mason McTavish, taking just half a beat when the puck came back to him to make sure it would end up in the net. [brightcove videoID=6310753238112 playerID=JCdte3tMv height=360 width=640] Wherever Bedard goes, it’s the same story: The goals come in and jaws drop to the floor the way this projected first overall pick — who turned 17 less than a month ago — shoots. “His shooting is just super elite,” says Brennan Othmann, who played on Bedard’s line to complete the win over Slovakia. “We all talk about it all the time. I know a lot of guys with good shots, but this guy can really shoot well.” Indeed, there’s no debating what this North Vancouver kid’s superpower is. And while there’s obviously a gift-from-the-heaven element to the game of any phenomenon, there’s also the on-the-ground reality of what it takes to perfect it. Whether in his backyard or on the ice, Bedard has been throwing pucks since he could hold a stick. “It’s something I enjoy,” he said shortly before the tournament. “If you ask any kid what they want to work on, it’s not skating, it’s shooting pucks.” [brightcove videoID=6289091747001 playerID=2540680026001 height=360 width=640] Born in 2005, Bedard is basically the same age as compound hockey sticks. His weapon is ultra-whip, using an elongated shaft that — whether he’s wearing the colors of Team Canada or his Western Hockey League club, the Regina Pats — allows him to twirl the puck away from his body before deciding whether to let it go. on the outside or, in a flash, scoop it back up and let it fly from whatever angle he feels gives him the best chance of confusing the keeper. The results get a little ridiculous. In 11 games for Canada at two under-18 World Championships, Bedard has 13 goals. This is now his second attempt at the 2022 World Junior Championships after the original event was canceled four days after the race at Christmas. Bedar, basically aged 16.5, scored four goals in two games then. Tuck two more now and it’s six in four overs. By no means a perfect comparison, but just for quick and dirty reference, here’s how some other super-duper stars of this century fared in the first world junior tournament they played: Connor McDavid, one goal in seven games. Auston Matthews, one goal in five games. Sidney Crosby, two goals in six games. Alex Ovechkin, six goals in six games. [brightcove videoID=6286825336001 playerID=2540680026001 height=360 width=640] So if you want to be a little silly about it, you could point out that Bedard even surpasses Ovechkin, a player who has a realistic shot to finish his career as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer. Sure, comparisons to active legends are inherently exuberant, but just follow Bedard’s lead and have fun with it. “It’s pretty crazy,” he says when asked about hearing his name mentioned with the likes of McDavid and Crosby. “I haven’t played a game in the NHL or even finished a full sophomore year in junior, so it’s wild and whenever I hear that it’s definitely an honor.” Anyone projecting Bedard to be in that class — and you don’t have to be the tinfoil hat type to do so — knows it takes more than one signature trait to scale those heights. The more people see Bedard play, the more they realize there are layers to his game. When he’s not the trigger, his vision and passing ability make him a more than capable setup guy. Plus, despite being under six feet, she’s by no means afraid to mix it up. Bedard is a lanky 181 pounds, which means he has a very different body type than teenage athletes like Patrick Kane or Johnny Gaudreau. During a pre-tournament match against Sweden, Bedard tangled with striker Ake Stakkestad for a long stretch in the Swedish crease. Near the end of the first period against Slovakia, the entire bench seemed to be looking at him before a neutral zone. While he understood that the best place for him is on the ice, not in the box, Bedard didn’t shy away from anything, clearly giving it back to people verbally and standing his ground with anyone who pushed or egged him on. “When you’re that good of a player and it’s talked about, players are going to want to go down on you,” says Canadian defenseman Donovan Sebrango. “He loves it and that’s what I love about him. He is a special player. I don’t think you can really find a weakness in his game and he’s 17 years old.” Perhaps most frightening to opponents right now is the fact that Bedard and McTavish have hit it like a house on fire. With two games in the books, McTavish woke up Friday morning as the tournament’s top scorer thanks to a 4-4-8 line, while Bedar has two assists to go along with his two goals. Canada, which had Friday off, will likely have its toughest preliminary tests in the final two games of this stage on Saturday against the Czech Republic and on Monday against Finland. Guess which Canadian players will be the focus of the pre-game meeting for these teams. “On the ice, nobody can really stop them right now,” Sebrango said of McTavish and Bedar. “Their chemistry on and off the ice. they act like brothers. I don’t know if anyone can stop them.”
