One Wild Connor Bedard Stat Proves Why NHL Teams Have Major Incentive To Tank

Connor Bedard celebrates winning World Juniors with Team Canada

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“Generational Talent” can be a bit of a misnomer when you consider how frequently it gets thrown around to describe athletic prospects with the ability to outshine their peers with the power of a thousand suns. However, it’s hard to argue Connor Bedard hasn’t earned it based on what he’s been able to achieve in recent years.

At the start of the current NHL season, the Vancouver native was already widely viewed as the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft after spending a couple of years absolutely dominating the Western Hockey League (WHL) as a member of the Regina Pats. If there were any doubts that would be the case, they’ve been all but put to rest thanks to what’s transpired over the past few months.

Bedard led the WHL in goals and assists and had racked up a 27-game points streak when he temporarily stepped away from the team to represent Canada in the World Juniors last month.  He put on an absolute show over the course of a tournament where the 17-year-old phenom repeatedly proved why the hype is very, very real and helped his team walk away with the gold medal after his squad defeated Czechia in the championship game on January 5th.

Bedard’s 11-game hiatus came to an end when he rejoined Regina for their showdown against the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday. He picked up right where he left off, as he posted four goals and two assists in the 6-2 victory to extend the aforementioned streak to 28 games.

Anyone who’s watched him play likely understands why a number of NHL teams have some serious incentive to engage in a race to the bottom in the hopes of increasing the odds they’ll secure the top overall pick in the draft lottery at the end of the year. However, hockey reporter Chris Johnson was able to sum up just how good Bedard is in a tweet where he highlighted a truly absurd stat that encapsulates his dominant nature.

So, yeah, it’s safe to say he’s pretty good at the whole “hockey” thing.

Connor Toole avatar and headshot for BroBible
Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible. He is a New England native who went to Boston College and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Frequently described as "freakishly tall," he once used his 6'10" frame to sneak in the NBA Draft and convince people he was a member of the Utah Jazz.