Top of the Lottery Prospects: Connor Bedard making noise in the playoffs, too
He has six goals and 11 points in his first three games.
In the final five games of Connor Bedard's final WHL regular season, he added 14 points (8 G, 6A), which gave him a grand total of 143 points (71 G, 72 A) in 57 games.
This means he's the first 17 year-old player in the CHL to score 70 goals in a season in over 25 years.
Connor Bedard is the first 17-year-old CHL skater to record 70 goals in a season in over 25 years.
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) March 20, 2023
He's just the 3rd WHLer to ever do it, and the 20th ALL-TIME in CHL history.
That's going all the way back to Mario and Lafontaine dumping 84 and 104 in the early 80s.
It's nuts.
He finished with 36 more points than the next highest WHL scorer (Chase Wheatcroft put up 107 points in 68 games), 21 more goals (Kai Uchacz dropped 50 in 68 games), and had the same number of assists (72) as Riley Heidt – who once again put up his total in a full season's worth of games (68).
Connor Bedard won the WHL scoring race by 36 points this season - the largest gap in over 35 years.
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) March 26, 2023
It's the 6th largest margin in the 57-year history of the league.
His 2.509 points per game pace easily lead the league, and it's the highest mark the WHL has seen since 1990-1991. His goal scoring also puts him in some absolutely insane company.
Top goal-per-game seasons by a 17-year-old CHLer ALL TIME:
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) March 30, 2023
• Pat LaFontaine 1.49
• Real Cloutier 1.35
• Mario Lemieux 1.27
• Mike Bossy 1.27
• Connor Bedard 1.26
• Eric Lindros 1.25
What a crew.
And that's just during the regular season. How would he fare in his first taste of the playoffs?
Connor Bedard doing Connor Bedard things for his first WHL Playoffs goal!
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 1, 2023
🎥: @TheWHL
pic.twitter.com/4uB6YzIGU0
Connor Bedard’s second WHL playoff goal is even more beautiful than his first. pic.twitter.com/LYOAdyh97e
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) April 1, 2023
As he proved repeatedly during the World Juniors, Bedard is the type of player who has no problem being the focal point in high pressure moments. Just ask these two defenders:
Bedard's not normal pic.twitter.com/RlQprvjXm4
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 5, 2023
In three playoff games so far, he's been electric – scoring six goals and adding five assists – while once again leading the WHL in both points and goals.
His team, the Regina Pats, finished their season with 29 fewer points than their first-round opponent, the Saskatoon Blades (who had the fourth most points in the entire WHL), and yet Regina is currently up two games to one in their first-round series thanks almost entirely to the play of Bedard.
The Blades couldn't touch Connor Bedard in a phone booth. pic.twitter.com/6vNvBfYRbJ
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) April 5, 2023
The Pats were on the verge of taking a commanding 3-0 series lead against the far superior Blades last night but ended up losing 6-5 in overtime. Game Five will take place Thursday night in Regina.
