Connor Bedard is making his mark on the public’s imagination with his prowess at the World Junior Under-20 Championship, where he is emerging as the leader.
Bedard, who is only 17 years old, has broken Canadian records for goals and points. He surpassed Jordan Eberle (14 goals) with his 15th goal against Slovakia, and Eric Lindros (31 points) with his 32nd point. He accomplished this feat in only 13 games, and is only 17 years old.
C’est fait ! Connor Bedard bat les records de Jordan Eberle et d'Eric Lindros pour le plus de buts et de points inscrits par un joueur d'Équipe Canada au Championnat du monde junior ! 🔥🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/2deWF6k1RY
— RDS (@RDSca) January 3, 2023
The former number 88 had greatly encouraged Bedard to break his record by telling him to crush it (his record).
Happy New Year! Don’t just break the record Connor Bedard, smash it! Win the tournament. Go Canada! #WorldJuniors
— Eric Lindros (@88EricLindros) January 1, 2023
But Bedard didn’t stop after breaking those two records because his ultimate goal is not to break records, but to win a gold medal with the Canada jersey on his back. He scored the winning goal in overtime against the tough Slovaks.
Connor Bedard is a different animal https://t.co/ea4LdItb99
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 3, 2023
With Bedard’s success, Canada has advanced to the semi-finals and will face the United States next Wednesday (tomorrow). Bedard can continue his rise to the top for points in a single year at the tournament.
Bedard currently has 21 points, while Peter Forsberg (31), Markus Naslund (24) and Raimo Helminen (24) are ahead of him for points in a tournament.
Most points ever at a single WJC:
• Peter Forsberg 31
• Markus Naslund 24
• Raimo Helminen 24
• Connor Bedard 21
• Robert Reichel 21— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) January 3, 2023
Another event that marked this very exciting match between Canada and Slovakia, and which today did not go unnoticed. Captain Simon Nemec ‘s kiss to the crowd remains a highlight… for Canada.
Simon Nemec blows a kiss to the crowd.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/kvnh9L8Rtp
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 3, 2023
Sometimes an emotional moment can quickly turn against you and Nemec certainly understands that today as he burst into tears following the duel.